No Way Back
by Midnight Ariel
Summary: One year after BD and all is not well. Bella's newborn year was way too easy. The newest Cullens are much harder to handle-both of them. Jasper has a tough year ahead! Flashes of human memories add to the tension and mystery. Canon plot, all canon couples plus OC couple Scott and Diane Cullen.
1. The Road Less Traveled

1

The Road Less Traveled

The rain had just turned to snow as we drove along the mountain road in Washington on that January day. Although I should've been used to them by now, the winding, hillside roads still made me nervous. We'd been traveling for a few days and were glad to be heading home. Sunny California would be a welcome sight after all the cold. Thankfully, Scott was glad to do most of the driving. The fifteen-passenger van we rented could be hard to control in bad weather. It would be getting dark in about an hour, and our five children were getting restless.

"I'm hungry!"

"Are we going to stop soon?"

"I need to use the bathroom!"

My head fell back against the seat as I groaned. Family trips were supposed to make good memories. That was only true if you managed to block out the fighting, the carsickness, and the obscene amounts of money spent on eating out. Then there was the gas…

_Quit being stupid!_ I chided myself. _He's finally home, and we are all together! Someday the children will be grown and gone, and you'll miss stuff like this. _While true, a fresh round of mayhem made me question that last thought. We'd hoped having such a large vehicle would give the children enough room to keep them happy. Not a chance.

"She's touching me!"

"He hit me first!"

"Give me back my car!"

"Quiet down, _please_." I huffed loudly, turning to face our brood. "Daddy will stop as soon as he can. There isn't a place to pull over right now." Feeling irritated at having to say the same thing twice in the past fifteen minutes, I drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly—one of my coping mechanisms. "Everyone is going to have to be patient, okay?"

Turning back around, I glanced at my husband. He'd been too quiet for a while. "The natives are getting restless," I warned. He ignored me. _How annoying. _"We should've eaten in Forks instead of just getting gas. That little diner looked like a good place." Still nothing. "If we don't feed them soon, we may have a mutiny on our hands."

He smiled a little but kept his eyes on the road. At least I knew he heard me. Scott took things in stride most of the time. Often people thought my husband was unobservant or cold, but they were wrong. He just chose to overlook some things that other people—like his wife—got upset about. When you've spent two tours in the Middle East, seeing the horrors of war and innocents living in abject poverty, you tend to let the "little things"—like a van full of whining children—not bother you so easily.

When asked about his military service, Scott always pointed out that he was in the reserves—as if it somehow made his service less important. We never lived on a base, and when he wasn't deployed, his service was limited to one weekend a month plus two weeks during the summer. Still, he was a military man through and through, like his father and grandfather before him. In the end, it doesn't matter if you are full-time or in the reserves. When you're deployed, you're still gone. Your family still struggles while you're away, and the enemy still wants to send you home in a box. Scott's recent fourteen-month deployment to Afghanistan had taken its toll on all of us.

This trip was our first getaway since his homecoming. An out-of-state ski trip had been Scott's idea. We really had enjoyed ourselves, and it had been great to get away from the pressures of home. Our family needed the time to reconnect as Scott slipped back into his place. Now that our trip was almost done, I was anxious to sleep in my own bed. It would finally be a warm bed again with my husband in it.

Thinking of a warm bed, I ran my gaze over him. His dark blonde hair was still cut in a "high and tight" as the Marines called it. I knew, from his last deployment, that it would be a while before he grew it out, but he'd never let it get as long as it was back in high school. Really, it wasn't that long back then, but I had a lot more to run my fingers through.

His strong arms flexed as he tightened his hands around the wheel, and I appreciated the fact that he was in good shape. True, he wasn't a teenager anymore, but neither was I. We were both only two short years away from the big four zero. I had put on more weight over the years than he had. Having five children tends to do that.

My favorite thing about my husband's looks had always been his eyes. The perfect blend of green and brown streaks, his hazel eyes were the first thing I noticed about him when we met. Even after all the time we had been together, those eyes looking deeply into mine still made it hard to breathe.

Letting my gaze run over the rest of his 5'10" frame, I had to take a breath to calm myself. Sharing a hotel room with the children had been good for family bonding, yet it had put a damper on our adult time. I never really liked big, bulky guys. Scott had a nice, lean build, so while his muscles were not large they sure were strong…

_Calm yourself, Diane! _

Turning my head back to the window, I took a few breaths. Working myself up tonight would do no good, since our plan was to find a place to stay in Oregon. I mentally prepared myself for one last night sharing a hotel room with our children.

_Oh, but once we get home…_

_Down girl! Get a grip!_

Hearing his sigh, I looked at my husband. My silent husband, I'd noticed.

"Why so quiet, Gunnery Sergeant Landrum?" I asked playfully.

He shrugged, scowling straight ahead.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"The road's pretty icy. We need to find a place to spend the night in the next town instead of waiting until we get to Oregon. The sooner we get off the road the better." He didn't usually worry about the road conditions, so I was immediately on edge.

"Do you want to head back to Forks or just stop at the next town?"

"Next town, I guess," he murmured. "It'd just waste time to backtrack." His eyes didn't leave the road.

I turned back to the children, about to ask them for quiet yet again…

Scott grunted. "Stupid truck."

By the time I turned to look, headlights were flying past us. A truck came around the curve driving just over the center line, forcing Scott to swerve over the edge of the road.

That's when we hit the ice.

Without warning, we were sliding.

My eyes froze on my husband; I watched him grimace with effort as tried to control the van. The tires didn't squeal. For a moment, there was no sound as the ice kept our tires from touching the pavement.

For just a few heartbeats, all was silent.

The ice ended, and noise erupted around us. Our tires found the road once again, screeching loudly. The van swerved as Scott fought for control. The crunching of glass joined the horrific symphony as our van tipped over and slammed to the ground. Something crashed into my shoulder and arm; I cried out in pain. The van began to skid and slide on its side—my side. My ears rang because the noise was so loud—not just one noise but many. Screaming…we were all screaming. The pops of metal twisting and breaking. The crash of glass giving way. It seemed as if we would slide forever.

The van came to a standstill. As quickly as the noise around us started, it stopped.

My vision blurred and faded to black.

"Diane? Diane!" I could hear my husband, but he sounded far away.

"Diane, look at me!" My eyes were open, and everything looked fuzzy.

"Diane, look at me!" I knew it was Scott calling to me. I couldn't focus. Ouch. My head hurt. I reached up to touch it.

"Don't move!" Scott ordered. "Don't move. Just…just look at me."

I turned my head to my husband's voice. When my eyes finally focused, I could see the look of horror on his face.

"Diane, listen to me very carefully." His voice was tight and controlled. "Your seat belt gave out. You're lying on the door."

Struggling to get a grasp on my surroundings, I stared at my husband. I couldn't think clearly. What would cause the look of panic on his face? If the van was on its side then my laying on the door wouldn't be such a bad thing. The van was on the road, so I could just stand up and climb out on his side.

Then it hit me—there was no road on the other side of my door.

"Don't look!" Scott commanded.

I couldn't help myself. A turn of my head was all it took to confirm my fears. As I looked out of the window I was lying on, all I could see was ground—a long way down. We had skidded over the edge of the cliff—just enough for my door to be exposed. Without my seat belt to hold me, the only thing between me and the ground below was my door and the window in it. I was laying half on the glass and half on the door itself. The next thing I heard made me turn back to my husband in silent terror.

The glass was cracking.

"Don't move." His eyes locked onto mine. "I want you to _very slowly_ reach up with your left hand so I can pull you up to me."

As I tried to obey sharp, piercing pains jolted me.

"My arm…It's broken," I whimpered. "I can't move it."

"Don't panic." His voice was smooth now as he tried to calm me. "Try your right arm. Just move as slowly as you can."

As I _very slowly_ turned to reach out to him, the cracking of glass made me freeze. My eyes, still locked on my husband, saw his grow wider when the sound of groaning metal erupted beneath me.

The door was giving out.

A face appeared in the window behind my husband. "My name is Dr. Cullen," he said as his eyes swept the inside of the van. They came to rest on me. I could see that he wanted to help me.

I had other ideas.

Ever since the van came to a halt my mind never left my children. I could hear them crying, groaning, and talking to each other. Were they hurt? How badly? I had no idea.

"We have five children in the back!" I shouted. "Get them out first!"

Scott's eyes never left mine. He was calculating, trying to figure out the best way to help me. "Yeah. Get them out first."

Dr. Cullen's face disappeared from view. Just a few seconds later the doors at the back of the van opened. How did he get back there so fast? The doors protested loudly as if they were being pried apart.

Scott looked back at our precious, frightened children. "This is Dr. Cullen," he said in his authoritative daddy voice. "He's going to help you out of the van and get you to a safe place. Go with him and do what he tells you."

"Daddy, your head's bleeding!"

"Is Mom OK?"

"You're coming, too, right?"

"Daddy–"

"Everyone quiet," my husband calmly ordered. "Just go with the doctor. I'm going to help your mother. We'll be out as soon as we can."

"Hello, children," Dr. Cullen said softly, his voice calm and soothing. "Everyone slowly come towards me. You older girls be sure to help the little ones next to you. That's right. Move slowly now."

All of this took only a few minutes. For those few minutes, I was completely distracted from the danger I was in. A sigh of relief came from my chest because I knew my children were going to be taken care of. That relief came to a halt when the door groaned again.

"Reach for me, sweetheart," Scott pleaded. He gripped the steering wheel as he stretched his free hand towards me. His eyes fixed on mine as if he was trying to lift my body to him with his mind.

I continued to twist my shoulder towards him again. Soon a loud grinding sound came from the door below me, and it dropped an inch. A scream jumped out of my throat. "I can't reach you!"

Scott's hand moved to the latch of his seat belt.

"No!" I yelled. "Don't you do it! I'll try again! You stay there!"

I lurched forward to prove my point. My only thought was to stop him from unlatching his seat belt.

Big mistake.

The van door screeched and popped open with a bang. As I dropped, I twisted and grabbed the failed seat belt with my right hand. My useless left arm crashed to the side of my body, sending a wave of pain and adrenaline through me.

"DIANE!" Scott screamed. "HANG ON!" In a flash, he wrapped his arm around his seat belt several times and pressed the latch. He fell a bit, and then his arm bore his weight. He reached toward me with a look of desperation. Latching onto my hand where it clutched the failed seat belt, he gripped tightly and pulled.

It was no use.

My hand was covered in blood. I was slipping…the seat belt that was my lifeline…slipping through my fingers.

He couldn't save me. I had to save him.

"Go back!" I shouted. My hand slipped an inch. "I'm going to fall! You get out of this van right now!"

"No! I'm not going anywhere without you!"

Dr. Cullen's face came into view again. "Your children are sa–" His words choked off in a gasp as he took in what was happening.

"Grab him please!" I begged Dr. Cullen. My hand slipped again—I couldn't hold on much longer. This was it. I knew I wouldn't survive the fall. I was going to die. There was only a moment to look into my husband's eyes one last time. "I love you so much," I whispered. "You get out of this van and take care of them."

The last bit of seat belt slipped through my fingers.

As I fell from the van, I saw Scott reach out for me, instinctively, letting go of his lifeline. More terror rushed over me as I realized that he was falling, too. I tried to keep my eyes on him, but the wind whipped us around like rag dolls. It seemed like we fell for hours. Screams erupted from me unabashedly. Scott was screaming, too. We both knew the ground was coming up fast, bringing with it pain and death.

When I hit the rocky earth, I felt the sharp, stabbing pains of breaking bones and splitting skin. The impact forced the breath out of my lungs. Even as I bounced and landed again, the lack of air made it impossible to scream as pain consumed my body.

Everything went silent.

Somehow, I managed to open my eyes. "Scott?" I gasped. "Where are you?"

"I'm here." He was dragging himself towards me. Blood streamed from his head as he pulled himself along by his arms. His face told me every movement caused him excruciating pain. Still, he was determined to be near me.

In an effort to get to him, I tried to move. Pain rocked through my body and I screamed.

"Stay still. I'm coming."

Slowly, painfully, he made his way to me. As he did, I looked down at myself. Both of my legs and my left arm were twisted in disturbing ways, obviously broken. Any movement caused ripping pangs of agony. It hurt to breathe.

Scott made his way to my side and lay down with his face inches from mine. A few moments of wordless communication passed between us. We both knew what neither of us wanted to say.

We were dying.

Both of us–dying. Our children, up on the road, were about to be orphans.

I broke the silence. "I love you."

"I love you."

"Our children–"

"I know."

"There won't be much left after the house is sold. What will happen to them?"

Scott reached over and stroked my face with his fingertips. "That's in the Lord's hands. There's nothing more we can do for them now."

It hurt to talk, but I wasn't about to waste these final moments. "Scott, you know what?"

"What, sweetheart?" he asked softly.

I was gasping hard now. The pain was fading as my body began to shut down. "I wish we had…more time together. We had…twenty years…but it was just…not enough. I wanted…many more years…with you."

He stroked my face again. "I feel the same way," he whispered. "Many more years would have been wonderful."

Suddenly, impossibly, Dr. Cullen appeared. My mind couldn't comprehend how he got to us. His face was grave as he silently looked us over; his expression confirmed that we were beyond saving. He seemed to be puzzling over something for a long moment. Then his face smoothed, and he spoke calmly. "Did you _really_ mean what you've just said?"

How did he hear us?

"What?" my husband asked.

Dr. Cullen looked us in the eyes, in turns, as he spoke. "When you said you wished you had more time together. You both wished for 'many more years.' Did you _mean _that?"

My husband replied fiercely. "Yes, with all my heart. She's the love of my life. The twenty years we had are just not enough."

Nodding in understanding, Dr. Cullen's eyes went to me. I wanted to say more, but my strength was failing me, so I whispered, "Yes."

Dr. Cullen paused for a minute. Then he began to speak fervently, his words picking up speed, as if he had more to say than time to say it. "I have a way to give you those many years. There is no time to explain fully. You are dying so I must act quickly. Your human life is over, but I can offer you a life after it that will let you be together. There will also be a way to look after your children—to be sure they will be well cared for."

As he spoke I had the time to _really_ look at this stranger who had shown up to help us. His eyes were…_yellow_? His skin was pale white. My stomach lurched as I realized this man was not, well, human. How was that possible? What was he?

My husband and I looked at each other and back at him.

"What–exactly–do you mean?" Scott asked cautiously.

"There is no harm in telling you since you will not live much longer if you decline my offer." He drew in a deep breath and slowly answered. "I am a vampire."

I stared at him with shock. I didn't want to, but…I believed him.

My mind went to a black, locked-away place, as if it were a real room deep inside. I hadn't opened that dark door in years. What if I had been right back then? _Wait just a minute! _My brain was screaming at me. _It can't be! All this time I thought… _

_He looks like… _

_But the eyes…_

_Vampires are real?_

Every vampire book and movie I knew flooded my thoughts. Then it hit me. "You want us to _kill_ people just so we can live? No! We _can't_ do that!"

"No." Dr. Cullen shook he head. "We do not kill people. We hunt animals." I gasped for air and then convulsed with pain. Dr. Cullen's eyes tightened. "I am sorry to press you, but you will not live much longer. You will have to decide now."

I really can't tell you everything that ran through my mind because I don't know. My thoughts came quickly: _More time with Scott. More time with my children. How would that work? We wouldn't have to kill people?_

My mind stopped racing when my gaze drifted to my husband. His face was smooth. His mind decided. He spoke with a clear, firm voice as he looked deep into my eyes. "If it means more time with you, I'd walk through fire. I say yes, but we must agree. We either do this together, or we both die right here."

I looked up at the vampire. My mind never thought to fear him because his yellow eyes were kind. "Yes, together," I whispered.

Dr. Cullen nodded then was very still for a moment, deep in thought. He reached in to his pocket and produced a cell phone. "I need you right away. Bring one of your brothers." Then he spoke so low and fast that I really didn't catch much more. In less than a minute, the phone was put away.

The grave look was still on Dr. Cullen's face as he spoke to us again. "This is going to be very painful. I am sorry, there is no other way. It will be the worst pain that you will ever know. Yet the pain will not last forever."

My small laugh seemed to surprise him as I choked out, "I'm not feeling all that great now." He chuckled once at that, but there was no humor in it. I sucked in a ragged breath and continued. "Just promise me that Scott and I will stay together. I can get through anything if I know he's near me."

"You have my word," Dr. Cullen promised. He leaned in closer. "I am going to have to bite you now."

My body automatically tensed.

"I am going to have to bite several times, in fact. I am very sorry about that. But, I need to get as much venom into your bodies as possible because of the extent of your injuries. The venom will heal your bodies as it changes you." He could plainly see my panic. "Please trust me. I will not be killing you, but it will feel like I am. Are you both ready?"

Scott and I looked in each other's eyes. We both read fear in the other—fear mixed with determination.

"Ready, Dr. Cullen," Scott said in a firm voice.

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Ready, Carlisle," I whispered, unable to say more.

"All right, I am going to have to start with you, Diane. You are fading quickly. Although you will be in a great deal of pain, it is important that you are as quiet as possible until I can move you. My wife is up on the road with your children. Emergency crews will be here shortly, and they must not find us. Do you understand?"

We both nodded.

His icy fingers brushed the hair away from my neck. Fear welled up in me. Seeking my usual safe haven, I locked my eyes on Scott. I wanted to hold his hand, but my body wouldn't move.

"I love you," he whispered

"I love you," I replied softly.

Razor sharp teeth slicing into my neck cut off that thought. All I could hear was my gasping as the bite turned into a searing pain. I used all the strength I had left to hold in the scream that tried to escape. His teeth dug into me again and again along my arms and legs. I kept my gaze on Scott as long as I could. His eyes were full of horror as he watched what was happening to me then they glazed over in pain when Carlisle bit into his neck.

Two voices appeared out of nowhere. I couldn't turn to see who they came from.

"Carlisle, what is going on? What have you _done_?" The first voice was shocked and angry.

"I will explain it all later," Carlisle replied. "I have to get back up there. Take them home."

"Well, this is…interesting," the second voice replied slowly.

Who were they? What did they mean? I couldn't make sense of these voices. The burning that started at each bite spread through my entire body. All I could think about was staying quiet. I closed my eyes and curled into a ball—as much as I could—and I tried to hold the screams in.

Someone lifted me. I thrashed against the arms in panic as fresh waves of fire shot through me. Were they taking me away from my husband? The arms clenched tighter.

"Don't struggle. Be still." It was the angry voice. I was in so much pain, all I could do was obey. The next thing I knew, I was being put down on something cold and hard. Wondering where I was distracted me from concentrating on being silent, and I cried out.

"You_ must_ be quiet!" The angry voice ordered.

My eyes squeezed tighter as I reined in my screams again.

I heard movement next to me. My eyes opened just long enough to see that it was Scott. He too was curled into a tight ball. As much as my body hurt, my mind was glad that I was beside my husband again.

"Okay, guys," the second voice began—deep and full. "The ride's going to be bumpy till we get back on the road. Hang in there."

Doors closed near my feet. Other doors opened and closed farther away. Even with all of the pain, my mind struggled to grasp my surroundings. If I opened my eyes, could I keep quiet?

I had to look.

We were in a van, lying on the floor. As the van started to move and bounce, it became harder to be quiet. I groaned but managed not to scream. Still trying to make sense of where we were, I heard the two voices talking from the front seats. I focused so I could listen.

"Roll down the windows," the deep voice whispered, "It'll help with the smell."

It was silent for a few moments.

"This is insane!" The angry voice spat out. "It's too great a risk. We don't know these people! Strangers! Random strangers!" There was a tone of disgust mixed in with the anger. "Now Carlisle wants to bring them into our _home_? Insanity! I don't like this at all."

"Calm down, Edward," the deep voice said. "We were all strangers at first, right? Carlisle knows what he's doing." The deep voice was completely calm. "Don't get so worked up. Carlisle said he would explain everything."

"Emmett, do you not see the danger in this foolishness? The danger this poses to our family?"

Emmett huffed. "Carlisle said to take them home and keep them safe. So that's exactly what we're gonna do. Hey, he looks pretty strong. Cool. Hope he likes to wrestle."

Edward sighed. "You are absurd. Of course I'll do as he asks. I still say this is madness."

Fear mixed with the pain inside of me. Where were they taking us? Had we just made a huge mistake? What did we really know about these people…these _vampires_? My mind started to spin again as the fear of the unknown grew. Soon all thoughts were cut off as the burn grew hotter. My mental energy was spent. I couldn't listen anymore. I couldn't think. The burning, searing, pain pulled me under as I held in the screaming. Small grunts and moans came out anyway. I knew I couldn't be this quiet for long. The only other sound I that could still hear was Scott gasping at my side.

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

06.18.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: SqueakyZorro & Evil Pumpkin

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

A big thanks to my betas. I have studied up on my comma rules. Your creative advise was most helpful. If you are a writer, you need a beta. If you need a beta, Project Team Beta is the place to go to find a good one.

Graphic Artists: SunRay16

* * *

Please leave a review.

~MA


	2. Awakening

2

Awakening

Was this hell? How long had I been here? I had no concept of time. Pain was all that I felt. It seemed as if I had been burning for years. My body writhed and thrashed—attempts to hold in my screams long forgotten. I heard voices assuring me that my torture would end. I didn't believe them. At least Scott was beside me. I could hear him moaning and crying out as he convulsed. It was bad enough to be in such agony, but to know that the love of my life was in agony also, and that I could do nothing to help him, was unbearable.

As time passed, my mind became clearer. The venom's fire did not let up, not by the tiniest bit, yet I was finally able to think about something other than how much I hurt. It was a relief mentally. I could feel the pain, but it no longer took all my mental space—I could think of other things, too. That explained it. I had more space in my head now. I could finally try to figure out what was happening around me.

Carlisle was talking to someone. "At last; the worst is over. They are going to be fine. This will work out, you'll see." He sounded weary.

"Great," the angry voice replied sarcastically. Edward? Yes, that's what the other one called him in the van. "They will still be newborns, Carlisle. _Two_ of them. This is much too dangerous. Maybe I should take my family and leave for a while."

"No, Edward. I need you. They are going to need a lot of…looking after."

"What about the risk?" Edward fired back. "What if one of them _hurts_ her? She's just a child!"

What was he saying? I would never hurt anyone. Certainly not Carlisle, or anyone he cared about, we trusted him. Edward had mentioned a child. He thought I would hurt a _child_? How could he think _that_? He didn't even know me.

"She can hear us," Edward murmured.

_How does he know that?_

The pain was beyond intense, yet something was changing. The fire that had consumed me mercilessly for so long seemed to be retreating. Was that what has happening? Yes…the flames were fading from my fingers and toes, then my elbows and knees. Yet my heart was burning hotter still as my heartbeat raced faster and faster.

Carlisle was close to me now. "Listen to their hearts, Edward. It will be over soon. Get Jasper and Emmett. We will need them."

Suddenly it felt like my heart was going to rip out of me. A bolt of fire shot through me, locking my body into an arc, my chest in the air. Agony so intense I couldn't have screamed if I tried. Just when I knew I was going to die, a strange thud echoed in my chest, and the fire vanished. My body collapsed. Was the pain really gone? I flexed my fingers slowly and stretched my arms and legs. Once my mind grasped that I was free from the burning, I timidly opened my eyes to a new life.

My very first thought was to look for Scott. I turned my head to see him rigid with pain, his body locked into the same arc mine had been in. He collapsed and was still for a long moment. Then he turned and looked at me.

Silently we sat up at the same time, staring at each other.

Was this really my husband? I had been married to him for twenty years, so I should know his face. My mind knew instinctively that it was him. Yet he looked so different...

_Red eyes! _

My husband had red eyes! Red eyes were for horror movies and Halloween costumes. His startling eye color was the first reminder that we had been forever changed.

"Scott? Is that you?" My voice sounded so strange. It sounded…musical.

"Yeah, it's me." His voice was different, too—stronger, smoother.

His eyes swept over me. "Wow, babe, you look great."

_What an odd thing for him to say. _I studied my husband again. Smooth skin stretched over firm muscles. He had always looked good, but now he looked better than ever—at least ten years younger. My eyes went over his pale, perfect skin. His muscles—more defined than even our teen years—I had the sudden urge to run my hands over every inch of him.

The words "new and improved" flashed through my mind. Wow.

I reached out and touched his face. He did the same to me. As his hand came near my face, I smelled the most intoxicating scent. My nose touched his hand. It was him. My mind instantly cataloged that scent as belonging to my husband. It was like standing in the middle of a pine forest on a warm summer day. The scent of the pine needles, the deep smells of bark and earth, and the crispness of fresh mountain air made up the scent of my man.

I scooted closer. "You smell amazing."

He leaned his nose to my hand, paused, and breathed in deeply.

"You smell amazing, too."

We sat there on the king-sized bed, in an unknown room, staring like we were seeing each other for the first time. Obviously, we both really liked what we saw.

"Well, hon," Scott took my hands, and held them away from me. "The red eyes are weird, but the rest is _very_ nice." His eyes raked over me as he spoke. Usually I would have downplayed such a statement. This time I really liked seeing the desire in my husband's eyes.

My gaze lingered over his body as well. "You're not looking bad yourself."

I had an overwhelming need to kiss him. His expression told me the feeling was mutual. We leaned closer, gazing into each other's eyes. My breath caught in a familiar way; I couldn't have looked away if I tried.

His hand slid behind my head. "I'll get used to the red." His face, only an inch from mine…

A quiet cough startled us both.

"It would be best of you both stayed…_calm_ at the moment," Carlisle said softly with a slight smile. "Your eyes will change color in a few months."

Standing near my side of the bed, Carlisle immediately had our attention. He was not alone. Three others were with him, looking at us with fierce expressions. Carlisle's face was not as hard as the others, but it looked cautious as he took three steps toward me.

What took place next happened very quickly, yet my new eyes did not miss a thing. Scott sprang to his feet. He flashed around the bed and stopped in front of me, crouching down, with his arms spread wide. A fierce growl poured from his lips.

Wait.

Did my husband just _growl_?

Before I could even answer my own question, I was on my feet behind my husband. A growl of my own came from my chest.

Wait again.

Did _I_ just growl?

What in the hell was going _on_?

The three others crouched and growled in response. Their growls were louder and more fierce than ours. Those growls told us—in no uncertain terms—that we stood no chance against them in a fight. They were growls of dominance. I was suddenly very afraid as what was happening began to really sink in.

"Everyone stop!" Carlisle's voice rang out with unquestioned authority.

All of us straightened at once.

Carlisle leveled a steady gaze at us.

"I'm…sorry," Scott was just as shocked as I was by our actions. "I don't know what came over me."

Carlisle's face relaxed a bit, but his was the only one. "It's understandable. You were protecting your mate from four males that you do not know." He spoke softly now, but his voice still had that edge of authority. "It is a natural instinct, yet you must control yourself."

Scott reached behind and pulled me to his side. Feeling his arm around me helped me to relax. I felt him relax, too. Just touching calmed us both.

Carlisle began to direct his thoughts to himself. "I should have considered that. One of the girls should be here."

"Absolutely not." I recognized the voice, and was glad to put a face to it. Edward's eyes never left my husband as he continued speaking to Carlisle. "We agreed they should be kept safely away for a while, and that is _exactly _what we are going to do." Edward did not seem to like us. I recalled what he had said earlier. How long ago was that? He wasn't happy about us being here. "A mistake"—those were his words. Hmm. I decided that I didn't like Edward that much either. His eyes shifted to me and tightened.

Carlisle coughed again, recapturing my attention. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"Our children–," Scott began.

"That is best left for another time." Carlisle replied.

Sudden, fierce anger filled me and I hissed. This couldn't wait! What could be more important than our children? Where were they? Were they safe? Who was taking care of them? What did they think had happened to us? Fear and panic rose in my chest, and I began to crouch. Both Edward and Jasper turned their eyes to me.

A wave of unexplained calm poured over me, and I relaxed involuntarily.

Carlisle reassured us. "They are all safe and being well cared for. We will discuss it fully, I promise, but later."

I didn't like it, but I stayed quiet since it was clear I had no choice.

Carlisle went on. "For now, let's keep it simple." He watched us carefully, as if to measure our reaction to what he was telling us. "Your transformation lasted for three days. You are now vampires." The v-word startled me. Yeah, I knew it wasn't a cuss word but it did seem like it at the time. "Your injuries from the accident are completely healed, and your bodies are now _very_ strong." He paused to give us time to grasp his words. "You will have to learn to control your new bodies and minds. Self-control must always be practiced above all else." We both nodded, and then he went on. "These are my sons." He motioned to each one. "Edward, Jasper, and Emmett. We will help you as you learn to control and use your new bodies and as you adjust to your new lives."

"It's so much to take in," I admitted sheepishly. "I feel overwhelmed."

I looked up at Scott, and his face told me he felt the same way.

"Your minds are stronger and capable of more thought now," Carlisle instructed. "Because you have room for many thoughts at once, it makes you easily distracted. It will take time to adjust and learn to control it. You must focus."

Yes, it was a lot to take in.

Looking for a distraction, my eyes went around the room and landed on the open bathroom door. A full-length mirror stirred my curiosity. In an instant, I was standing in front of it. Scott followed me but stopped at the door, still facing our hosts.

A low growl let me know that my sudden movement displeased Edward.

"Everyone relax. She's just seein' what she looks like," Jasper drawled. His southern accent made me feel calm for some reason. "Just give her a minute."

My full attention went to the reflection in front of me. Red eyes were not shocking since I'd seen them on Scott. But seeing them on me sparked something within. A face flashed into my mind, but I couldn't remember seeing the person before. Dark and out of focus, the mental picture slipped away. The irritation from the fleeting thought made me want to hit something.

A slight movement in my periphery caught my attention. Jasper shifted on his feet and looked at me strangely. Not wanting to waste time, I turned my focus back to the mirror.

The eyes were strange, but I had never liked my super-dark brown, almost-black ones anyway. Like my husband, ten years had vanished from my face. My wrinkles were gone, but I didn't look like a schoolgirl. I twisted my body to get a good look at everything. The extra weight had melted away. I actually looked on the slender side for my 5'3" frame. A muddy memory of an infomercial for some ninety-day exercise program flashed through my mind. I looked _better_ than that. My brown hair, cut into long layers, looked shinier than I remembered it being, and those annoying strands of grey at my temples were gone. I still had the upturned nose I'd always hated—darn. But the rest was just as new and improved as Scott. Hmm…perhaps the burn was worth it.

Jasper chuckled. "Judgin' from the joy I'm gettin', I'd say she's really happy with her new body."

My husband turned from his guarded position. "She's not the only one." Much to my surprise, Scott's eyes faded from red to black. Instinctively, I knew why and wished we were alone.

Carlisle cleared his throat, causing us to face him. "Of course, you have noticed the burn in your throats?" Edward and his brothers visibly tensed when we nodded stiffly.

I had been feeling the steady burn, but it really hadn't been in the front of my mind until then. Suddenly my throat was on fire: hot, dry, and burning. My mouth was watering, but swallowing did nothing to help the burn.

"Why does it feel this way?" Scott gasped.

"That is your thirst. As vampires, we need blood to survive."

That sent a shiver down my spine. Recalling that we had chosen this, that this new life was our chance to stay together, helped me focus.

"Remember I told you that we hunt animals to live?"

Suddenly Scott laughed. "We have to _hunt_ to survive?" He looked down at me with a wry smile. "Great. We're dead."

I laughed in return, knowing the joke, as he turned to explain himself to the four confused faces.

"I've gone hunting with my father and friends for years. Never caught a thing."

Emmett scoffed. "That won't be a problem now. Trust me. It's not a question of _if_ you catch something, just a question of whose kill is bigger."

My eyes flew wide. "You mean I get to hunt, too?"

"Sure," he replied. His face turned mocking. "Why, you scared?"

"No," I retorted. Really, I wasn't. The idea of hunting actually excited me. "It's just that he," I leaned my head towards Scott, "never let me go before."

They all chuckled.

Scott looked embarrassed. "Hey, it's dangerous in the woods. Other hunters can be stupid. Plus there are the wild animals. I just didn't want her to get hurt."

Edward let out a small laugh. "You're going to have to change your thinking about what your wife can do now. Trust me."

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

06.18.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: Evil Pumpkin, & Bella_Barbaric

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Big high fives to my betas for helping me untangle myself from the evil clutches of verb tenses.

A huge thank you to Twilighted beta Twistedbytwilight for approving my story.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Please take a minute or two to leave a review! Please! Please! Please! :Alice type bouncing:

~MA


	3. Hunting Is Not Just A Guy Thing

3

Hunting Is Not Just a Guy Thing

We followed Carlisle out of the room. After going down a short hallway that ended in a sitting area, we were quickly outside. Many thoughts flooded my mind, swirling in all the new mental space there. It was very hard to focus on just one thing. We weren't in a town. Lush forest surrounded one side of the house; the other side had a lawn that went all the way to the river that curved around to the back. Beyond the river, the forest stretched far and wide. Now I was able to see the main house that stood three stories high. It was a beautiful, early American-style with white wood siding and large windows. We had been in a smaller building that sat behind it, a guest house.

_My throat burns._

It took only a few seconds to understand that we were being kept away from the main house—kept away from the place they all lived in. They had mentioned there were others. "The girls," Carlisle had called them. Why were we being kept away from them?

_So many questions…_

Edward had said these other _vampires_—better get used to that word—were being kept "safely away," yet no one explained why.

_Still burning…thirsty._

It occurred to me that I wasn't cold. All I wore was a shirt and jeans. These were not my clothes. They looked new. Looking at Scott, I noticed he was wearing new clothes as well. It had been snowing when we crashed. Carlisle told us our transformation had lasted three days. The sky was overcast, and the wind blew strongly. Three days ago, I would've put on a coat. Now I didn't need one.

_So thirsty… So many questions… _

Carlisle stopped, and turned to face us. "Your new strength allows you to run faster and jump farther than the strongest human. Jasper, will you please demonstrate?"

Jasper scared me the most. His body bore many scars which frightened and confused me. While sitting on the bed with Scott, I had reached up to touch his face. In that moment, I realized that a scar on my arm from a long-ago accident was gone. As I studied Scott, I noticed his childhood scars were also gone. If our scars were gone, why was Jasper _covered_ in them?

_Thirst is getting worse! So many questions…_

Jasper had only taken one step away from Carlisle when I was startled out of my thoughts.

"Focus!" Edward ordered sharply from behind me.

The sound made me jump, and a hiss rose out of my throat before I gave it a thought. Scott growled in response. He never turned to see that I wasn't in any danger.

Since leaving the guest house, Emmett had been walking behind Scott, and Edward had been walking behind me.

Now I knew why.

Their hands locked down on our arms, and they moved us twenty feet apart. This all happened in a split second, of course.

My eyes grew wide as Scott growled and thrashed against Emmett's grasp; rage filled his eyes. The strange thing is that Emmett was huge, very muscular, yet he was straining to hold my mate. Scott was obviously stronger. How could that be? It looked like Scott was about to work himself free. His eyes were focused on Edward, glaring at the arms that bound me. Scott could see it was Edward that held me. Every growl, every movement, seemed to be directed toward Edward. Jasper flashed to Scott and placed a hand on his shoulder.

My own rage flamed at seeing my husband restrained. I took an instinctive step and hissed again when I felt myself being held back.

"Calm yourself," Edward urged as he gripped my arms tighter. "Emmett will not hurt him."

_You've got that right 'cuz I'm not just going to stand here looking pretty. _I thought to myself. My body hadn't even moved a fraction of an inch when Edward's growl was close to my ear.

"Do. Not. Move." He followed his words with another low, threatening growl.

I froze. My instincts told me I would be in danger if I so much as twitched. Only my eyes moved as I sought out my husband. Scott had stilled even though Jasper's hand remained on his shoulder. Emmett still gripped Scott's arms behind his back as Edward held mine. Everyone had gone silent.

As Carlisle stepped towards us, all eyes went to him. "Self-control is something you _must_ master." He turned to Scott and asked, "Are you calm now?" Scott nodded. Carlisle studied his face. "If they let you go, will you stay calm?"

"Yes," Scott said flatly.

Carlisle motioned with his hands toward both groups. "Let them go."

It took a third of a second for Scott and me to meet each other in the middle of the distance that had separated us. He wrapped his arms around me, and we both relaxed fully.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "You were just trying to protect me." He squeezed tighter but didn't speak. Now that I was away from Edward, my fear melted.

"It's not his fault," I protested to Carlisle. "Edward startled me and I overreacted. Scott was just worried about me. I'm sorry. Really."

Carlisle's face showed only kindness and patience. It was obvious he was the leader here, and equally obvious that he deserved the position.

At the same time that I pondered this, another part of my improved brain was running through what had just happened. Then it hit me. I voiced a question to confirm what I knew instantly to be true.

"We're dangerous?" I straightened away from Scott in order to face Carlisle fully. "That's why you are keeping us away from the others in your group?" My voice betrayed the disgust I felt. "You think we're going to _hurt_ them?"

"Didn't you just _prove_ that?" Edward retorted. "You are absolutely dangerous! You will be kept away from our _family_"—his voice stressed the word protectively—"until you can keep a hold of yourselves!" Edward's voice grew louder. "This is a mistake, Carlisle. They shouldn't be here."

Carlisle raised his hand, and Edward fell silent. "Son, it is our duty to help them," he urged gently. "They are my responsibility, and you know that, Edward. I have explained everything. You know this is right." He studied Edward for a moment and sighed. "However, if you wish to go, you are certainly free to do so."

Edward slowly shook his head. "You know I won't do that."

Guilt filled me. We were causing trouble by just being with Carlisle and his family. Even though I regretted being there, I knew we had to stay. Where else could we go? A desperate need to set things right clawed at my heart. Looking at Edward, I tried to make him understand. "I really am sorry."

His expression softened, just a bit, and he sighed. "My apologies for startling you." Edward shifted his gaze to my husband. "I understand you were protecting your wife. Believe me, I know how that is." He grimaced. "But please, try to remember that we don't intend to harm her."

Scott's arms tightened around me. "Sure. You just remember I don't know you any better than you know me."

Edward nodded in response, but said nothing. Things with Edward were not off to a good start.

"Can we hunt _now_?" Emmett moaned. "Let's do this!" He looked at us and grinned. "This is gonna be fun. Trust me."

After a few minutes of explanation about our weapons of strength, venom, and teeth, we watched Jasper run so fast that he would have been a blur to human eyes, and then he cleared the river in one leap. Hearing that we could now do the same things both fascinated and unnerved me. The thirst made me impatient to go because my throat was so hot and dry.

My thirst was briefly forgotten when I jumped the river. Soaring through the air felt like flying! If they hadn't stopped me, I would've gone back and forth several times. I kept the pout off my face as we walked away, but I think I stomped—just a little.

Carlisle and Jasper moved towards the forest, taking the lead, as Scott and I followed. Emmett stayed behind Scott as Edward stayed behind me. Being followed made me nervous, but I controlled the urge to turn around and growl.

Carlisle stopped and turned to Jasper. "Make sure it's safe to let them go." His voice was very low, but I heard him perfectly.

Jasper nodded once and disappeared into the forest—only to return three minutes later. "No humans around for a ten mile radius. It will be fine." It did not escape my notice that Jasper's posture and demeanor was similar to Scott's.

Carlisle seemed pleased. "Emmett, you stay with Scott. Edward, you stay with Diane, just in case."

_In case of what?_ I wondered silently.

Edward explained. "We need to be sure you only cross the scents of animals and not humans. If you crossed a human's scent, you would hunt them. You wouldn't be able to help yourself." I shuddered at that. It occurred to me that Edward replied as if I had spoken my thought aloud. The thirst flared, and it pushed that thought out of my mind. My throat was on fire, demanding my full attention.

Carlisle motioned us forward. His instructions were brief. "Close your eyes, and use your sense of smell. Then follow the scent that appeals to you. Don't think. Let your instincts guide you."

Scott and I stepped forward as we closed our eyes and pulled in air through our noses. I could smell _everything_. I smelled damp earth, water, flowers, pine, so many different scents, and then one stood out from the rest.

We both crouched low and moved forward. I could hear the others following us. Again, I had to fight the urge to turn and growl at them to leave us alone. We would have to get used to the idea of being babysat for a while.

We ran silently through the forest until we came to a clearing where a small herd of elk were grazing. They smelled good, but in a disappointing way. It reminded me of when I was a child and I smelled pizza only to realize that it was coming from the neighbor's house, and all I got was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Once we hit the clearing, our instincts really kicked in. Scott leaped first at the biggest elk, taking it down swiftly. Not stopping to watch him, I aimed for the one closest to me, which was a good deal smaller. My teeth found that perfect spot on the neck with ease. Soon hot, rich blood was flowing down my throat, and the burn left me for the first time since I woke up. As soon as the elk ran dry, the burn returned, much to my frustration.

"I'm still thirsty," I complained to anyone who would listen.

"That's to be expected," Edward explained. "Keep hunting. It's important to feed until you are satisfied." He was at the edge of the clearing with Carlisle and Emmett. They were giving us some space to feed without feeling threatened.

Letting the drained elk drop from my hands, I raised my nose to the air again. A scent that was even better assaulted me. "Mmmmm," I groaned. Scott looked up questioningly. He had just drained his kill and had not yet picked up the new scent.

Grinning at him, I shouted, "Dibs!" Then I ran.

Whatever the new smell was, I wanted to get there first. Scott was, of course, faster, so a head start was my only advantage. The scent took me back through the forest and along the river. Soon I saw my prey. A bear was at the far edge of the water, head down, drinking.

He never saw me coming.

I didn't break my stride as I leaped back over the river and landed next to the bear. In one fluid movement, I wrapped my arms around its neck, letting my momentum carry him with me as I tumbled away from the water. My teeth sliced into his jugular before he could make a sound.

Oh, yeah. This was much better.

Yet it still lacked something. It was like getting that pizza, but without my favorite toppings.

"Stop!" Edward and Emmett roared together.

I looked up just in time to see Scott coming over the river. I flashed a smug smile at the disbelieving look on his face. Stepping aside, I motioned to the bear. "Try this. It's pretty good."

Scott drained the rest of the bear before speaking again. "You're right. Better than the elk." When he was finished wiping the blood from his face, he looked up and grinned at me.

"What? Am I that much of a mess?" I started to smooth my hair and clothes.

"You just took down a bear!" he said incredulously.

"Sure did." My smug smile was back, and I pushed him playfully. "Edward told you to get used to stuff like this, remember?"

Scott stood and put his arms around me. "My wife, the bear slayer. Wow. This is definitely going to take some getting used to."

Laughing softly, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Do I intimidate you now?"

He laughed too. "No, but I do find your new skill rather…exciting." He held me tighter as his lips brushed against mine. My breath hitched, and I waited for him to really kiss me. For just a moment, we were the only two people—well, vampires—in the world.

A familiar cough quickly reminded us we were not alone in the world after all. We had been so lost in our exchange that we didn't realize they were all standing at the other side with bewildered looks on their faces.

Looking up at Scott, I whispered, "Did I do something wrong? Are bears protected around here or something?"

He held me tighter for a moment before releasing my waist and taking my hand. "Guess we are supposed to stay _calm_." His voice was laced with the annoyance we both felt. He let out a long sigh. "Let's go back across and see what the problem is. If we've done something wrong, Carlisle will explain it to us. He's been very patient." Scott's voice was soothing. He had noticed the worried look on my face.

"Wish Edward was more like him," I muttered. "I don't think he likes us." Scott had no reply to that. We sprang back over the river landing right in front of our host. I didn't wait for the reproof I expected before diving into my apology. "I'm sorry about the bear. You said to let my instinct take over. He smelled so good that I—"

"You did nothing wrong," Carlisle interrupted gently. "It's just that Scott should not have come so close to you while you were feeding. And you…" He sounded surprised for some strange reason. "You should not have been able to stop feeding to share your kill with him."

I hissed, suddenly angry. "Did you think I would attack my own husband?" How could he think I was capable of such a thing? More anger flared inside me. "I'd _never_ do something like that to him!"

Edward shifted toward me and shook his head. Scott noticed this as soon as I did, and he held me to his chest protectively. Lowering my voice, I struggled to calm myself. It unnerved me how my emotions could change so quickly now, and with such force.

After a deep, steadying breath, I continued. "Of course I would share He would have done the same for me."

"You really thought she would attack me?" Scott asked. "Wow."

Carlisle turned to Edward. "Just when I thought I wouldn't see any other strange newborn behavior." He chuckled. "We failed to take into account that they were already bonded before their transformation. We will not have to worry about them hurting each other anymore."

"Hurting each other? You expected us to hurt each other? I don't understand." Scott took the words right out of my mouth.

Jasper took a step forward and crossed his arms. "Most newborns, new vampires, are ruled by only their thirst and care only for themselves. Protecting your wife as you did, hunting so closely together, sharing your kill: these are things that two newborns would _not_ normally do. That's why all of us have been with you today. We were prepared to separate you if we had to."

"That would be a problem," Scott seethed as his arm around my waist tightened. "She does not leave my sight."

Why did Scott sound like that? Sure, he wanted to keep me safe, but "she does not leave my sight"? Where was _that_ coming from?

_Puh-lease! I have been on my own plenty of times during our marriage, buddy._

"Easy," Emmett soothed. "Relax, dude. We'd only do that if there was trouble."

Scott's voice grew harder. "No. I will not allow it. Not for a minute. Not for any reason." A low growl slid between his clenched teeth.

Okay, this was going nowhere good fast. Emmett had just started to crouch down, when I turned in my husband's arm to face him, and placed my hands on his face. My annoyance at being my husband's possession took second place to defusing his wrath.

"Scott, honey, look at me." Anger burned in his eyes when they met mine. "Calm down, sweetheart. They won't separate us. See, I'm right here." His eyes cooled as I held his gaze, and his face softened while I spoke to him.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I know you're a super-strong vampire now, but I'm still the same over-protective husband, ya know?"

"I understand." No, I didn't. We'd have to talk about that. I lightly kissed his nose to suppress my urge to smack him.

The shocked look was back on Carlisle's face. "Jasper, did you?"

"No," Jasper replied in the same tone. "It was all her. Just her touch was all it took."

"Now what did I do?" I moaned.

"I was just asking Jasper if he was the one that calmed Scott," Carlisle answered.

Now it was our turn to be surprised. Scott once again took the words out of my mouth. "Why would you ask that? He didn't say a word to me."

A smirk crossed Jasper's face. "Carlisle, why don't you tell them?"

The sun was setting as we walked back at a human pace. Carlisle explained about Jasper's gift. The ability to control the emotions of others was, naturally, something that took us a while to grasp. An odd silence followed when we asked if anyone else in their family was gifted, like Jasper. It was obvious that we were being kept at a distance. I understood since we were, by all accounts, strangers.

Having this in mind, it surprised me to see that our group walked past the guest house and was headed to the main house. I had expected it to be off limits to us. Jasper sped ahead, disappearing into the house, and coming back out quickly.

"Empty," he declared.

I sighed inwardly. Yes, we were still being kept away from the rest of the family. I had a strange longing to get to know the Cullen women. It was a bit lonely being the only girl in the group. I couldn't really blame them, could I? Wouldn't I do the same for my family?

Suddenly, my thoughts came in a flood. My family. My children. What had happened to them? Where are they now? An edge of panic came over me, and I fought it back as I squeezed Scott's hand.

"Good," Jasper praised quietly.

Wow. He could feel my panic, and he could feel me control it. Weird. Guess I would have to get used to all kinds of weird now. Edward chuckled at something, but I couldn't tell what.

My eyes swept over the large room as we entered through the glass doors into the biggest house I had ever been in. The pale color scheme of blues, tans, and whites was soothing. I took in the large piano on a low platform, beautiful artwork on the walls, and the white couches.

White couches…never a good idea with children around. It hit me again. My children were not around. Where were they?

Edward motioned to the large dining room table. "It's time for us to talk."

"Hey, if you don't really need me, I'd like to catch the last half of the game," Emmett mumbled to Carlisle.

"I think that we will be fine," Carlisle answered, smiling at us.

"Hey, Emmett?" I whispered.

"Yeah?"

I smiled. "You were right. Hunting was fun."

A huge grin spread across his face. "Just let me know when you want to go again. Maybe next time you'll actually take down a _big_ bear." He laughed at the look on my face as he reached for the remote and turned on the large TV.

"Jasper, you can go too, if you'd like," Carlisle added.

Jasper studied me, then Scott, before his eyes shifted back to Carlisle. "I'll be close by if you need me."

Carlisle chuckled. "Always tactical, Jasper. Always tactical."

Jasper shrugged. "Old habits from my soldiering days."

Scott turned in his seat. "You were a soldier?"

His voice told me his eyes were lit up before I even looked at him. I smiled, knowing what his next words would be. He didn't disappoint. "I served over twenty years myself. Marine Corps Reserve. Did two tours of duty in the Middle East. What about you?"

Jasper straightened slightly. "Texas Calvary, Civil War." He grinned at Scott's awed face. "We'll have to talk. It will be nice to have a kindred spirit 'round here."

As Jasper strode away, I knew I would soon find him and Scott together swapping stories of their military days. It took a soldier to truly understand a soldier.

Carlisle's next words captured my attention again. "We need to discuss your children."

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

06.21.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: Nobi_fawkes, and LuluM

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

I hope you all have enjoyed the first three chapters. Please take the time to "show me some love" by writing a review.

~MA


	4. Caring For The Children

4

Caring for the Children

Carlisle walked across the large room, and sat at the head of the long dining room table. "Please, sit." He motioned to the chairs on his right. Edward sat on his left. "I know you have a lot of questions," Carlisle began slowly. "Perhaps, it would be best if I tell you what we know first. Then we can talk about our suggestions regarding the care of your family."

"All right," Scott took my hand after we sat.

I simply nodded my head in the hope that Carlisle would just start talking already. Panic threatened to overtake me as I waited.

Satisfied with our answers, Carlisle went on. "After I bit…well, after Edward and Emmett took you to the van, I went back up to the road. My wife, Esme, had stayed with your children while I…attended to you. I told the police that you both fell from the cliff and into the water. When we moved you, it was a simple matter to slide you to the edge before lifting you so that your blood trails would match my story. They sent a search party, naturally..." His voice trailed off when he saw the reality of his words settle on us.

Loud sobs broke from me uncontrollably. "Our children…think...we're _dead_?" My hands flew to my face, as if I could hide behind them and the finality of it all hit me. If our children thought we were dead it meant we would _never_ see them again.

Never is a very long time.

Scott wrapped his arm around my shoulders in an attempt to calm me. Trying to process what Carlisle had told me, a series of images of the crash scene flooded my mind.

Our children, huddling together in the living room.

Our children, staring wide-eyed as someone, a policeman perhaps, tells them they are "very sorry" but that their parents are dead.

Our children, crying without us to console them.

My heart felt like it was being shattered into a thousand pieces. It was more than I could bear. Pushing my husband's hand away, I jumped to my feet.

"WHY?" I demanded, pointing an accusing finger at Carlisle. "You said we would be able to help our children if we did _this_!" I motioned to the length of my body. I had never felt such anger. My hands twitched with a need to destroy as the fury burned inside me.

Edward was on his feet as fast as I was. For just an instant, I thought of flying across the table. I wanted to hurt someone and vent my anger. Planning my route of attack, my muscles coiled to spring. Scott was on his feet, too. Stepping behind me, he locked his arms around mine, pinning them to my sides. Not to hold me tenderly, but to restrain. I thrashed against him in rage and pain. As a newborn, I knew now that I was stronger than Edward, but I was no match for my newborn husband.

"LET ME GO!" I shrieked as I fought to free myself. Edward flashed around the table and put himself in front of his father, growling his warning to stay away.

Scott ignored him and leaned his face to my ear. "Diane, listen to me." His voice was steady, but not harsh. "You're hurting, I know. I am, too." My anger continued to flame; I didn't want to hear him. "You don't want to do this. If you hurt someone, you'd regret it later. You would. We _will_ get through this." As the truth of his words sank into me, I stopped fighting him, yet I still trembled as he continued to talk. "That's right, sweetheart, come back to me. Carlisle said he has a plan. Let's hear him out." My control returned, and my snarls melted to sobs. Scott gently turned me so that I could bury my face into his chest."That's better," he whispered. Pressed into him, I continued to fight for calm. These newborn emotions were so powerful it was truly frightening.

Only after I was quiet and still did I dare to look up at Scott. "Thanks for helping me."

He smiled gently. "We will help each other deal with this. It was simply my turn to help you." I did not deserve this man. Knowing that we would stand together to handle all that was coming our way made it seem just a little easier to endure.

Then I turned to Edward and Carlisle. "Please, forgive me. I know I lost control, but I am okay now, really." Edward nodded with a look of pity in his eyes. Silently, he went back to his chair.

"This is very difficult for both of you. I understand that," Carlisle continued. "But you must do better. You cannot leave your emotions unchecked for one minute. You have learned today just how quickly they can overpower your mind and rule your body. Focus on controlling them."

Feeling ashamed, I whispered, "I will. Can we please continue?"

Scott hugged me before lowering me into my chair. He took my hand, kissed it, and held it in both of his. The love put into his actions relaxed me further.

"Well, that _is_ remarkable." We turned to see Jasper standing behind us. "They calm each other before I can help, and they do a better job of it. We were crazy to even think of separating them." He raised his eyebrows; a small smile crept onto his face. "Perhaps we should handcuff them together."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"Back to business," Carlisle stated. "Your children are back at your home in California. It appears that various family members have been staying with them in turns. Of course, this cannot continue indefinitely. I assume you left a will designating someone to care for them?"

Attempting to approach the subject again, but correctly this time, I took a breath and focused on staying calm. "Are you saying that we can't ever go back home?" I knew it was a stupid question, but I felt that I had to ask it anyway. Looking back, I guess I just needed one more confirmation before I fully accepted the awful truth.

Scott didn't wait for Carlisle to answer. "Honey, we have red eyes and sparkle in the sun, and we still can't control our bloodlust. Plus, I am guessing that since we didn't even know vampires were real until a few days ago, it's a secret that we have to keep."

"Yes, the secret of our kind has to be protected at all costs," Edward agreed. "By keeping our existence from your children, you will protect them. Anyone who discovers our existence must be changed or killed. Also, you must remember that your children are human. If you smelled them, you would want to hunt them."

My heart shattered again. The thought of hunting my children the way I had hunted the elk and bear was overwhelming. I felt my calm slipping. My hand squeezed the one holding it. "So what can be done for them?"

Carlisle smiled. "That is where my plan comes in. Please, let me explain."

We sat at that table for the rest of the night while Carlisle revealed his plan. He had obviously put a lot of thought and money into it. First we discussed revisions to our will. As we burned through our transformation, Edward had traveled to our home and removed our wills and other important documents to give us the opportunity to make any changes. The authorities in charge of the search had not declared that we were dead yet, so there was time. Carlisle had already set up a trust fund for each of our children, as well as an account designated for the couple who would care for them. He explained that he had the "resources" to make everything look like we had set the accounts up years ago and had saved the money over time.

He made sure we still wanted those named in our original will to get custody of our children. Then he suggested additions to be made to the will that would ensure our children would not be split up and would continue to live in our home. It was a very difficult discussion for Scott and me. More than once, Carlisle paused to let one of us steady ourselves. Thankfully, we both held onto our self-control for the rest of the night.

New wills would be made, but it would look like we had made them a year ago, of course. These wills would be placed in our files at home within two days. I couldn't have imagined what kind of money or influence it took to make such a thing happen, but I was thankful that the vampires sitting with us knew exactly what to do and were willing to do it.

Carlisle also suggested that we write letters to each of our children and our parents. These letters would also be placed in our home. He cautioned us to be careful as we wrote. They had to look like they were written at least a year ago and could not contain a hint of our present situation.

We marveled as he asked that we "please leave the details to him." When Scott asked about the money, Carlisle waved a dismissive hand. "It's nothing, really. Please do not trouble yourselves about it."

Scott wouldn't be deterred. "Carlisle, we're talking about a lot of cash here." His hand swept the room. "Obviously you can afford it. But understand that I want a careful accounting of all the money you give to us and our family, so that I can pay it back somehow."

For a moment, it looked like Carlisle was offended by this. He continued to look at us, and his face softened. "I will agree to this with a condition." Scott gave a quick nod. "The condition is that you permit me to help you set up your investments that you will use to live now." Scott opened his mouth to protest, but Carlisle went on. "It's not as if you can just go out and get a job in your present condition."

Scott's mouth closed as he thought on this. "I guess wild mood swings and red eyes aren't what most employers are looking for. Okay, I'll accept your condition. You'll let me repay every penny?"

"Every penny," Carlisle promised. A smirk brightened his expression. "I think you will find, with Alice's help, the stock market can be quite rewarding." When we questioned this with our faces, he simply added, "That can wait for a later explanation."

When all the details had been ironed out, and all of our questions answered, I turned to the wall of glass that was at the back of the house and realized the sun had come up. "We stayed up all night and I'm not tired at all. Is this a vampire thing?"

Edward laughed softly. "Yes. We don't sleep."

"We don't need to sleep at all? Ever?"I asked, wide-eyed.

He laughed again and nodded.

Just one more thing to get used to.

"You may want to get started on those letters," Edward suggested. "You will find everything you need in your rooms."

"Our rooms?" Scott questioned.

Edward rose from his chair. "Yes, the little house you were in when you awoke. That is our guest house. You have it entirely to yourselves. Everything you need was put in place there while you were..." he trailed off.

"Burning," I added flatly. Edward flinched. "Well that is correct, isn't it?" I accused.

He shrugged. "If you find you need something that is not there, just ask. I'll walk you over there." Edward's tone suggested that his presence was not up for debate. The word "babysitting" came to mind again and I sighed.

Our chaperone was quiet as we walked the short distance to the little house. "It's unlocked." He motioned to the door, and Scott opened it. We stepped inside, while Edward remained at the entrance and spoke softly yet directly. "We ask that you please stay inside until one of us comes to get you." When we looked at him with blank faces, he continued. "The rest of our family is coming for a while so that we can make plans for your stay with us."

"Oh," I murmured. "We understand. It will take us a while to write all of those letters anyway."

Edward looked down and ran his fingers through his hair. "There _is_ one more thing. Well…" His eyes stayed down, and I wondered what could make this vampire who had put both of us in our place more than once today struggle with his words. "Carlisle asked me to tell you that it would be best if you…" Edward fisted his hands and looked at a spot above our heads. "…refrained from your _relations_ for a while."

Now I was the one looking down.

"_Why_ is that any of your business?" Scott asked with irritation.

My eyes held to the ground as Edward spoke with irritation of his own. "Your self-control is sporadic. Since you are both newborns, it would be best not to push your limits at this point."

Scott crossed his arms over his chest. "So," His volume rose a bit. "Let me make sure I have this straight. Stay inside, and keep my hands off my wife. Is that about right?"

"Please," Edward spat tersely; then he turned around and left.

Scott slammed the door shut. After a moment, I ventured a look at my husband's face. His eyes were already on me, searching for my reaction. Not wanting to discuss it, I kept my face smooth and shrugged. "We have letters to write."

My husband rubbed his forehead with a huff. "Let's look around first so I can get a grip on myself, please."

The "little" house was the bigger than an average house in a middle class neighborhood. Since there were only two of us, we had plenty of room. The front door opened into a sitting room decorated in a palette of pale blues and yellows. Couches and chairs in shades of white combined with the pale color scheme made everything feel open and airy. It was quite pleasing. From there, we walked into the kitchen and laughed at the fact that we would never use it. Scott mentioned being grateful that he would never have to look at a sink full of neglected dirty dishes again. I ignored him.

We came to the master suite next. This was the room where we awoke to our new life. A life that we were still struggling to adapt to. Pale rose walls set off the king-sized bed that was dressed in white and placed at the middle of the far wall. It had a canopy of gauzy white linen that made it look very inviting. Not that we would ever sleep again. Scott scowled as he saw it. "Guess we won't be using _that_ anytime soon."

Attempting to distract him, I asked, "What's in here?" I opened a door on the opposite wall. "Oh, it's a closet." The word _closet_ was definitely an understatement.

Scott joined me. "It's _huge_."

We had never seen anything like it. It ran the length of the room and was half as wide. Every wall had shelves, rods and drawers. Every shelf, rod, and drawer was full. Like everything else lately, it was a lot to take in. I walked over to the nearest drawer and pulled it open. Several pairs of jeans came into view.

I couldn't believe it. "Hon, these jeans are your brand and size!"

"You're crazy," he shot back playfully as he came over to take a look. "Wow, you're right." He paused for a moment. "How'd they know?"

I thought back to the day of the accident. "You were wearing jeans the day they brought us here. Hmmmm... I wonder." I began looking over the clothes on the opposite wall that was clearly full of my clothes. Now I just had to look at it all. Never had I seen such an organized closet. There was a section for Scott and one for me. Mine was twice the size of his, and that made me smile. There were sections of clothes, shoes, and accessories. Each section was sorted by style and color.

Scott stared incredulously. "Wow. Are these all ours? How will we ever repay them?"

"Someone likes to shop!" I squealed. My eyes and hands were still going over everything. "Someone _really_ likes to shop. She must be a super-shopper to put this together so quickly. I can't wait to meet her!" Pausing for a moment, I sighed and wondered how long I would have to wait to meet the fashionista who put this all together. A new thought cheered me. "Ya know, hon, we _have_ been wearing the same clothes for more than a day." My eyes ran along the nearest rack. "I think we should change."

Scott nudged me. "You're such a girl. Go ahead; I'll wait out there." His brow furrowed as he moved towards the door.

"What's wrong?"

He stopped at the doorway without turning to face me. "There's no way I'm going to look at you _naked_ and be able to keep my hands off you. It's better if I give you some privacy." His face grew darker as he looked over his shoulder at me. "Please keep our _restriction_ in mind when you choose your outfit."

"Huh?"

"Nothing revealing or tight," he growled, shutting the door behind him.

My bottom lip shot out. This "restriction" was going to be a problem. I decided to go with some loose fitting black cotton pants and a purple long sleeved shirt. That should be pretty safe. Next, I went through the shoes until I found some simple flats that suited me. Opening the top of a stack of tiny drawers, I discovered jewelry. It was like Christmas morning! Even though I had never worn much jewelry, I was, as Scott pointed out, a girl. A simple pair of silver hearts caught my eye. I also selected the necklace that matched. Perhaps, it was enough to keep my husband's eyes drawn to my face instead of the rest of me that was now "off limits." When I found the two drawers full of lacy lingerie, I was glad Scott had stayed out. I pulled a few sweaters off of a shelf and placed them in single layer in each drawer, to conceal what would surely undo my husband's willpower should he see what the sweaters were hiding.

Scott was waiting for me when I came out of the mini boutique that was our closet. He eyed my clothing choice and nodded approvingly. "Shall we?" He motioned to the door that led back to the hallway. We passed two more bedrooms that were smaller than the one we just came out of. There was no need to look at them closely. They would not be used since our children were not here. Where they slept was no longer up to us. I stifled a sob and focused on the task ahead.

"This looks promising." Scott opened the door at the end of the hallway. "A library…hmmm…a very nice library." He stepped inside first. The deep jewel toned color scheme in the library stood in sharp contrast to the pale palette used in the other rooms. Where the rest of the house was open and airy, with sparse décor, this room was full of things that took up most of the visual space, giving it a cozy feeling. Three walls of the room were lined with dark walnut bookcases. Each bookcase was filled with scores of books. I wondered how long it would take me to read them all. Apparently, I would have a lot of time for reading at night.

_Lovely_.

My sarcastic thought made me frown, but Scott didn't notice. Most of the fourth wall held a row of large windows with a long window seat running under them. Pillows were scattered along its length, making it a very inviting place to pass the time with a book. A dark walnut desk sat along the same wall, next to the window seat. The shelves behind the desk were full of objects, the most prominent being a globe and a collection of antique wooden toys.

Scott went to the desk, sitting in the black leather chair behind it. He began opening the drawers and found everything we needed. He placed the paper, envelopes, and pens on the desktop. I sat in one of the two burgundy wingback chairs in front of the desk. We looked at each other silently, struggling with what we needed to do. Wordlessly, we each took a piece of paper and started writing.

It was excruciating. I felt as if I should be drowning in my own tears, but none fell. It would be a day later until I learned that I would never shed another one. How ironic. The worst emotional hurt I had ever felt, and I couldn't cry. As we wrote, groans and sobs broke the silence again and again. When the grief overtook us, we would reach out and grasp the other's hand until the wave of emotion ebbed.

Scott and I wrote a letter to each of our five children, trying to impart our love and some words of wisdom. Anguish tore at me as I realized that the simple act of writing a letter was all I could do for them. Next, we wrote to our parents. Finally, Scott wrote a letter to his sister and her husband, who would be entrusted with custody of our children. We spoke as he wrote that final letter, and I gave my opinions as he asked. At last, the dreadful task was finished. A stack of envelopes, tied with a black ribbon, lay on the desk.

It wasn't enough.

It was all that we could do.

We stayed in our seats and talked about everything that happened since that fateful day. I could remember that it had been our way to talk things over when we were newly married. My memories of that time were clear. There were some recent memories of it being much harder to talk to Scott, but those memories were dim. Regardless of how we were then, it worked for us now. We talked about the crash and what it felt like to fall. That part was a little harder to remember, but we didn't understand why. It was at this point that Scott gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Why couldn't I control the van?" He groaned, pulling his hand from mine and clutching his together. Words briefly failed me as his eyes fell to his hands. "If only I had been able to pull you up. I could have saved you—saved us—we could be with the children." When he looked back up at me, the pain that I saw in his eyes crushed my silent heart.

Standing up, I leaned towards him and put my hands on his face. "Listen to me, Scott. This is _not_ your fault. You did everything in your power to save me. I know that. You wanted to so badly that you unbuckled to reach for me, and then you fell, too. Perhaps if I had been stronger…held on a little while longer…"

He was by my side instantly, wrapping his arms around me. "Stop right now," he whispered. "You couldn't help it. You were hurt and weak." He was quiet for a minute before pulling back and looking deep into my eyes. "I'll make a deal with you. We will agree, right now, that neither of us is to blame for our situation. It was simply fate. Our time was up."

I nodded quickly and put my head back on my husband's chest as he continued softly. "We will make the best of this new life. Carlisle and his sons have done a lot to help us and the children." He took me by the hand and led me to the window seat. Sitting together, he pressed he cheek into my hair and wrapped his arms around me again. We lapsed into silence and held each other as night fell.

When we spoke again, we talked about the burning though the memories of it made us shudder. We talked about waking up next to each other. I told him how I would miss his green eyes, but his red eyes still made me melt when he looked at me in his special way. Then we discussed our hunt, and Scott laughed at "his bear-slayer." Talking about our outbursts made us cringe. It was unsettling, being at the mercy of our emotions, so we resolved to try harder to control them. We marveled at the kindness and generosity of the Cullens—especially Carlisle. The vampire that had made us one of his kind, so that we could have more time together and made sure our children would be well cared for, would have our unending gratitude.

Another comfortable silence left me lost in thought. Talking with Scott had been so refreshing. It was like things had been in the early years of our marriage, before the cares of the world began to wear us down. The last several years had been such a struggle for us. Jobs, finances, deployments, and raising a family had taken their toll on our marriage. I couldn't remember the last time we had really talked. Perhaps things would be better now.

"What will we do with ourselves? What do we do with all the time that we have now?" I wondered out loud. The sun had been up for two hours. Still we lingered, enjoying the quiet time together.

"That is something we will have to consider carefully," he answered. "We have lots of time, so let's focus on getting used to this new life first."

Just then, the phone rang. Scott walked over to the desk and picked up the phone that was lying on the corner. "Hello? Yes, we finished last night. I think that would be a good idea, thank you. Bye." He put the phone down, picked up the stack of letters, and reached out to me. "Ready to go?"

"Go where?"

"Emmett and Carlisle are waiting for us. Time for another hunting trip." Scott swallowed.

I gave him an understanding smile. "Yeah, I've been thirsty, too. Hope we find another bear."

Scott shook his head. "After you, my bear-slayer." When he opened the front door they were waiting for us. Scott handed the stack of letters to Carlisle. Carlisle looked at them for a minute before raising his eyes to us. He seemed to understand how hard they were for us to write. "Jasper will leave tonight."

Now was my only chance to take care of the thing that had been bouncing around the corner of my mind. The dread from that muddy image wouldn't leave me, but I didn't know why. There was one thing that had to be done—I could take no chances. Since there was no privacy to be had, I could only hope that they would grant me the discretion and not pry.

"Jasper, could I ask a favor of you?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Sure, what can I do for you?" he drawled.

No backing out now. "In our bedroom, there is a large armoire. It's mine." Scott's curiosity seemed to pound into me, but I refused to look at him. "In there, on the top shelf, you'll see several books. There are two I need you to take. One is red leather, and the other is covered in floral fabric." Why did I feel like I was confessing to a crime? Steadying myself with a breath I pressed on. "They are my journals. Please burn them before you get back."

Jasper's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I trust you not to open them. Please, burn them completely." My tone made sure that the subject was not open for debate.

Being a gentlemen, instead of asking another question, he simply gave me a nod.

"Thank you, Jasper."

Thankfully, Scott didn't ask any questions. That was good because I wasn't about to answer any.

Receiving the stack of letters, Jasper nodded. "I'll take these along with the wills and other documents to your home."

"It's not our home anymore," Scott countered sadly.

"True," Carlisle admitted, "but you are not without a home now." He smiled slyly. "But we will talk about that after you have finished hunting."

.

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

06.21.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkinand Heretherenowhere**.**

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Big thanks to my betas. You both challenged me in different ways to make this chapter better and I am grateful for your help.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Yep, I'm asking again. Please review and let me know what you liked and even what you didn't.

~MA


	5. Bonded

5

Bonded

Our second hunt went well. Part of the reason, in my opinion, was that Edward and Emmett gave us more space to hunt. Our meal of elk was made better with the addition of a bear that Scott took down. I spotted it first, but he beat me there. Preferring to hunt close together, and sometimes sharing our kills, continued to make our babysitters nervous; however, seeing that we did well this way, they did nothing to stop us.

We returned to the guest house to clean up. I was glad the hunt gave me an excuse to use our extravagant closet again. Scott simply grabbed another pair of jeans and a gray polo before leaving me alone. It bugged me that he insisted on taking his clothes to the bathroom to change while I stayed in the closet to dress. Yet again, he gave the "nothing tight or revealing" order before leaving in a huff. I _really_ needed to have a chat with Carlisle. Yeah. Right. How do you bring _that_ up?

Pushing that thought aside, I turned my attention to selecting a new outfit. There were so many outfits I wanted to try on! How many excuses could I find to change clothes in a single day without drawing attention to my new obsession? Letting out a small giggle, I sent a silent thank you to the unknown fashionista again. A light blue track suit that met Scott's requirements caught my eye, and I dressed quickly.

It was dark by the time we made our way back to the main house. Emmett was standing at the glass wall watching us from the time we left our front door. He had probably been standing there since we entered the guest house in the first place. "This constant watching thing is getting old," Scott grumbled. I agreed with him but didn't say anything for fear of agitating him further.

"Emmett tells me you did well," Carlisle said as we entered the room. "Was it easier for you this time?" We drifted to the large white sofa and sat next to each other while Carlisle sat in a nearby chair.

"A bit easier," I agreed. If only I could get them to back off a little more. "It was partly because we knew what to expect, but mostly because Edward and Emmett didn't follow us so closely."

"I see." He smiled as if he knew what I was getting at. "It may seem like we are being overly cautious, but it is with good reason, so please be patient."

I let out a long sigh and resigned myself to the fact that the babysitting would continue. Looking at Scott, I could see he felt as I did.

Carlisle continued, "There is one other thing. I'd like you to know that you are welcome to stay here as long as it takes for you to adjust to your new life."

"Thank you," Scott said warmly. "That's very kind. You have done so much for us already."

"Yes, thank you," I echoed.

Distraction was on the agenda for tonight. "Hey! The Playstation is lonely! Who's up for a video game?" Emmett boomed from the sofa in front of the TV.

Scott's head snapped up. "What games do you have?" He didn't play often, but when he did, he really got into it.

"Let's see. We've got a lot. My favorites are Super Race, Football Fantasy—oh hey—I just got a new one: Jungle Warfare. Wanna give it a try?"

"Now that sounds like fun." Scott jumped up and flashed over to the TV. Soon they were engrossed in their game. It was funny to watch their bodies turn and twist as they pressed on the custom-made titanium controllers Evidently, Emmett had a reputation for getting very into his games and had destroyed his fair share of plastic ones. Yep, they would be busy for a while. I was glad that Scott and Emmett were becoming friends. Good for him, but what about me? Being the only girl was grating on my nerves.

Settling back into the sofa, I gazed out at the night. It was amazing how much more I could see now. The darkness would never scare me again. Thinking about how much stronger I was now pleased me. My new strength gave me a confidence I had never known as a weak human. I could protect myself fully now—but not my children. They were no longer mine to protect. I felt a sob coming on, so I held my breath to stop it.

Looking for a distraction, I thought of the dim image that I still couldn't identify. Perhaps the face was someone I had seen on TV or in a magazine. Whomever it was, I didn't miss them. I let out a long sigh.

_My new, larger mental capacity is more frustrating than enlightening. Ugh!_

Being so lost in thought, I failed to realize that Carlisle was watching me. Seeing the sadness in my expression, his brow furrowed.

"How about a game of checkers?" he asked gently. Carlisle eyed Edward as he entered the room. "Not everyone around here plays fair, so I don't get to play as much as I would like to." I tried to think of a way to kindly refuse. Really, I just wanted to sit and, well, pout and wallow in my sorrow. Yep, pouting and wallowing seemed a good way to spend the night. Carlisle was not about to let me do that. Please?" He gave a coercive smile. "As a favor to me?"

Ugh! He had me. How could I refuse such a simple request when he had done so much for us? Suppressing a sigh, I nodded my consent. Carlisle rose with a smirk. "Just a moment." A moment was literally all it took for him to whisk away and return with a checkerboard.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward's smug grin at his father's victory as he made his way to the large piano. The beautiful instrument had captured my attention the first time I walked into this room. My desire to walk over and touch it was halted because it looked like it belonged in a museum. Edward began to play; the music was perfect and mesmerizing. Soon I was staring into space, letting the music wash over me.

Carlisle broke into my thoughts. "Do you play?" Edwards's eyes flickered to me as he continued to fill the air with a beautiful melody.

"Very little," I replied self-consciously. "I've wanted to play since I was little. But my parents couldn't afford a piano. A few years back, we bought a used one, and I tried to teach myself. There wasn't a lot of time to practice so I never got far. Days are pretty full when you have five chil-"

I froze. Strong feelings of grief and anger swirled inside of me. Struggling to suppress them, I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my hands together. _Calm. Calm. Calm._ I mentally chanted to myself. _Get a grip, girl. Calm. Calm. Calm. _Hearing the music cut off, I knew Carlisle's and Edward's eyes were on me. I sucked in a deep breath. Although I didn't need to breathe, the rush of air felt good. Exhaling slowly—an old habit—I looked up when I trusted myself to speak. "Well," I said breathlessly, "I have the time to learn now."

"Well done." Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder. "You controlled yourself beautifully." I smiled at his praise and knew instantly I would push myself to earn more. It was weird to think of him as a father figure since my body was older than his. Yet, his age, which was made up of experience and strength of character, more than made up for his young face. Perhaps we would see him as a brother later, when we had more vampire experience under our belts.

His hand lowered to the board. "Ladies first?" I nodded and gave my mind fully to the game. When Scott left Emmett and sat by me, I was aware of it, of course, but didn't say anything. My focus was on my rapidly disappearing pieces. Carlisle might be fatherly, but he was showing me no mercy on the checkerboard. I should have known Scott would want to "help." He could never sit still and not give his opinion in such a situation. This was never truer when he was giving that "help" to me. Said "help" was usually not wanted by me either.

I reached down to move a piece, and Scott tapped my knee. "Not that one." I brushed his hand away, annoyed. My first impulse was to tell him to hush, but that would've been rude. As soon as my hand left the board Carlisle jumped the piece I had just set down. "Told ya," Scott boasted. I ignored him despite my growing irritation. Since I didn't want to snap at my husband in front of everyone—okay, I really wanted to, but knew I shouldn't—I attempted to show good grace and keep quiet. I reached to move another piece. Scott tapped me again. "He'll jump it."

That did it. I knew it was just a game. Still, was it too much to want to play it on my own? My irritation rose, threatening to turn to anger. Not wanting to lose control, but needing a release, I turned to my husband and looked him in the eye. Mentally I yelled at him. _SHUT UP AND LET ME PLAY, YOU IDIOT!_

Scott jerked back as if I'd slapped him. "I can't believe you just said that to me!"

"I didn't, I— ", I stammered.

Scott's voice shot through me loudly. _"HOW DARE YOU!"_

Good graces just flew out the window. I was opening my mouth to really let him have it when Edward appeared beside us. Before I could get the words I wanted to say—to scream—out of my mouth, he placed a hand on each of us.

"Wait!" Edward had a strange look on his face. It was a mixture of shock and questioning. His eyes drifted to each of us before landing on his father. "Carlisle, I think they can _hear_ each other!"

"Of course I can hear him," I threw out. "He's sitting two feet from me!"

Carlisle looked at us in awe. "Really? Fascinating! Are you certain, Edward?"

Edward slowly nodded. "They don't even realize what they're doing."

"Can someone _please_ tell us what's going on?" Scott demanded. Our anger at each other was clearly gone as it settled on Edward and his senseless words.

"It appears you have a gift, as Jasper does," Carlisle explained.

"I don't understand," I admitted, feeling stupid.

"Let me try to explain," Edward began. "Scott, when you said 'I can't believe you just said that to me.' What did you hear, exactly?"

"I heard her say 'Shut up and let me play,'" he answered.

My mouth fell open. "Wait. I didn't say that out loud! I only thought it." Even as the words fell out, I couldn't believe what I was saying. I looked at my husband. "You actually _heard_ that?"

"Clear as a bell," he replied.

Suddenly, I didn't just feel stupid. Now I felt stupid, and I felt like a shrew. _Yeah, who's the idiot now?_ I yelled at myself. Never did I want those words to reach my husband. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He frowned. "So when I yelled back…in my head…you heard me, too?"

"You said 'How dare you.'" Shame colored my voice and my eyes fell to the floor. Scott had every right to be mad at me, and I knew it.

"Actually," Edward said coolly. "You said 'Shut and let me play, _you idiot_.' Quite rude really."

Edward had finally gotten on my last nerve. Taking patient, gentle correction from Carlisle was one thing. Being subjected to Edward's harsh criticism was another. I was done taking this kind of stuff from—

_Wait just a minute._

Edward's words repeated in my head.

"If Scott and I _thought_ those things to each other, how would _you_ know?"

Edward grimaced. "I am also…gifted." He ignored our expectant expressions and did not elaborate.

We looked at Carlisle. He looked at Edward. "There really is no point in trying to keep it from them any longer."

Sighing in exasperation, Edward spilled. "I can read minds."

After the initial shock wore off, I realized that I did not like the sound of that. "Can you only read what people say to you in their heads?"

He grimaced. "No, I can read any thought that goes through any mind near me."

"Well, that explains a lot!" I shot at him.

"Sure does," Scott chimed in.

I felt violated. "Just thought it best to keep that little bit of information to yourself, did you?"

Edward shrugged without a trace of remorse. "It's part of who I am."

Yeah, definitely on my last nerve.

"We need to test their abilities," Carlisle murmured, mostly to himself. His eyes were lit up like he had just been given a shiny new toy. "Let's get started…"

The rest of the night was spent figuring out the basics of our newly discovered gift. Carlisle was clearly enjoying himself. He asked us question after question as if he were going to write an article for The Vampire Science Journal. Who knows? Maybe there was one. At this point, who was I to doubt such a thing existed?

Really, I would have liked to have gone back to the guest house, so Scott and I could have experimented in private. After all, if Edward kept his gift to himself, why shouldn't we? Still, I couldn't find it in me to refuse Carlisle. We owed him so much.

For hours they had us think things toward the other and then just think of something to ourselves. They had us stand close together, on opposite sides of the room, and separate floors of the house. Carlisle tried to see if either of us could read his thoughts. Edward was clearly as interested as his father. Scott and I were simply shocked to know that such a talent was possible.

During our experiments, we learned that Scott and I could only read each other's thoughts. To be more specific: we could only read thoughts we directly aimed—thought with focus—to the other. Even the distance of the room didn't hinder us. When Scott directed a thought at me his voice came to me clearly, as if he were speaking, the difference being that instead of hearing his voice with my ears, I actually heard it in my head. It was the same for him.

"Why is it that Edward hears all thoughts, direct or random, and we only hear each other?" I wondered aloud.

Carlisle answered. "First of all, not every vampire is gifted. In addition, all gifts are as unique as the individuals that possess them. In your case, I believe—this is just a guess, mind you—that your gift stems from your deep bond as mates."

"Because we're married?" Scott asked. "Do all vampire couples have this gift then?"

Carlisle paused in thought before speaking. "There is no other couple that I know of with your gift. When I speak of your bond, I mean that not only were you deeply in love before your transformation, but that you went through your transformation _together_. This seems to have deepened your bond even further. I have never seen a couple transform at the same time, so I do not have any comparison."

"That is an interesting theory," Edward mused. "I wonder if any such gift has been recorded in the histories of our kind?"

Carlisle stood up. "Let's take a look." He glanced at us. "Will you be all right here?"

Scott grimaced. "Sure. Emmett is still here to _watch us_." Emmett waived from the TV, grinning. Carlisle nodded at Emmett before leaving the room with Edward.

We took the opportunity to play with our new found toy.

I looked at my husband and focused. _"Scott,"_ I thought.

He looked at me. _"Yes, sweetheart?"_

"_We can have our own private talks now. Isn't that cool?"_

"_Private from everyone—except from Edward."_ He frowned.

"_True. We will have to figure out the distance thing."_

"_That sounds like a good plan."_

"_I wonder how far we can be apart and still hear each other?"_

He shrugged then a smile spread across his lips. _"Know what?"_

"_What?"_

"_Now our bedroom talk is no longer limited to the bedroom."_

I rolled my eyes and smiled. _"Hey now, don't start something we can't finish. Behave yourself."_

His frowned again. _"I'm getting really tired of that restriction."_

"_Let's not argue, _please_." _I made sure my eyes reflected my plea.

"_Fine. But allow me to say one more thing?" _He raised his eyebrows to emphasize his question.

I nodded.

He smiled slyly. _"When that restriction is lifted do not expect to leave our bedroom for at least twenty-four hours."_

Now it was my turn to smile. _"I look forward to it."_

"Hey Scott!" Emmett called. If you're just gonna to sit there and stare at each other, you might as well come and play a few more games.

"Sure, why not?" Scott turned to go, but then stopped to look at me. "Do you want to play?"

"No," I said, "the sun will be rising soon. I'm going to sit here and watch it." I tested my gift again before he walked away. _"I really am sorry for my harsh words earlier."_

"_You're forgiven. I shouldn't have been so pushy."_

"_Don't give it another thought, honey. Have fun."_

"Yeah, yeah, she's still there," Emmett grumbled. "Quit staring at her and get over here!"

Our particular gift would definitely come in handy—and probably get us into some trouble, too.

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

07.04.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin**, **5millers**, **and xochina

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Crushing Vamp hugs to the betas who worked on this chapter. I am indebted to you from saving me from misplaced commas and awkward sentences.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Thank you for the reviews. I read an answer them all because I truly appreciate the encouragement. See the little box? Show me some love and write a little something for me there. Please?

~MA


	6. Restriction

6

Restriction

Jasper came back two days later. He was able to get the documents placed in the filing cabinet where the original wills had been. He even hid out in the crawl space under the house, listening to make sure they were found. We owed him big time for that; it was gross under there. Still, the timing couldn't have worked out much better since they were found the next day. While heartbreaking to know we could no longer be in our children's lives, we had peace of mind in knowing they would be taken care of and financially provided for.

For the rest of that first month we fell into a daily rhythm. The days were spent in "lessons" in the large living room where long discussions consumed most of the daylight hours. Carlisle's patience seemed limitless as we asked question after question. He made the necessary learning a pleasant way to pass the time while we adjusted to our new life. Occasionally, our questions amused him, such as when we went down the list of vampire myths that we had learned from books or movies. He did his best not to laugh but did not always succeed.

There's a good reason why new vampires are called newborns. With so much to learn, I often felt like a baby. Thankfully, Carlisle did most of his teaching through stories. He started with his own story, naturally. When he spoke of how he burned for three days in silence, I thought about how much noise I had made during my own transformation. Seeing my downcast eyes, he placed a fatherly hand on my shoulder.

"You really can't compare yourselves to me or anyone else of our kind," he gently chided. "Each transformation is unique. There is no way to know how long it will last, or how much pain one will feel. The way each individual deals with that pain can differ. In that same vein, how each vampire handles being a newborn also varies. In fact, I know of only one who has done better than you two. Then again, her circumstances were very different from yours."

If Scott and I were doing as well as Carlisle insisted, I knew it was not because we were special. The credit for the success of our newborn stage belonged to the Cullens and all they had done for us. We would have fared much worse if we had been on our own.

When we weren't inside with Carlisle, we were out with Jasper, Edward, or Emmett. They taught us to improve our hunting technique and gave us plenty of running and jumping practice. Emmett mentioned wanting to wrestle a few times, but Jasper or Edward always said we weren't ready for that yet, much to Scott's disappointment.

Most of the nighttime hours were spent in the guest house, just the two of us. We used our gift often, trying to discover all that we could do with it. We were interested to learn that we really didn't need to look at each other to converse through our minds. This meant that we could communicate with each other without anyone else knowing. Well, anyone but Edward.

There were times when we were asked to stay inside the guest house because the rest of the family would be home for a visit. When the family was away, the men took turns staying with them. At first, I felt guilty for causing them to be separated. When I mentioned it to Carlisle, he just waved his hand at me and told me they all understood and were glad to help.

As the days passed, we gained better control over our emotions and our gift. We found it easier to direct our thoughts to each other, and it did not require our full concentration, or strong emotion, as it had in the beginning. Still, it took more effort and concentration than speaking aloud. We never tested the effect distance had on our silent communication because we were always with each other. The happiest effect of our new life together was that we were just that: together. We were growing closer each day and had no reason to be separated.

The darkest cloud that hung over us was the constant aching void in our hearts as we mourned the loss of our place in our children's lives. If one or both of us was found sitting in silence, one did not have to be a mind reader to know that our thoughts were with the sons and daughters we had left behind.

One other issue became a source of irritation. We began to grow frustrated with that silly "restriction."

"This is driving me crazy," Scott moaned as he sat up. We had finished hunting and had been lying side by side in the clearing. I was content to spend hours just watching how the sunlight bounced off our skin, shattering into millions of tiny rainbows.

Convincing our chaperones to leave us alone there had not been easy. Like children being allowed to play away from their mommy, we promised to stay in the clearing.

Emmett wasn't the problem. "That's cool. I'll stay in the yard behind the house. I'll still be able to see the game while I keep an eye on you two," he chuckled. "Just call out when you're ready to come back."

Edward had simply frowned and looked at his brother. Whatever that look said—or whatever was said silently—seemed to convince him. "Fine. Just be sure to stay here," he groused before leaving.

"And behave," Emmett added with a sly smile.

Those parting words had irritated Scott. After lying there in the sun and talking softly for a half an hour, I thought Scott had forgotten all about it. So when he sat up, his words caught me off guard.

"_What's wrong, sweetheart?" _I thought._ "If you want to speak, lower your voice, they'll hear you and come back."_

Even after all of our practice, speaking out loud was still our habit, so we had to remember to talk mentally when others were around if we wanted our privacy.

Privacy from everyone except from Edward, that is.

"They're too far away to hear," Scott said softly. "Can you hear_ them_?"

I listened around me and took in the sounds. Water flowing, wind blowing, and not far below us, a colony of gophers were scurrying around in their tunnels. It was still strange to me to hear so much. Reminding myself to focus, I scanned over towards the house. Not one voice. Smiling, I shook my head. "Nope, can't hear them at all, must be too far away."

Scott's eyes lit up. He put his lips to my ear and growled softly. "Which means…they can't hear us." He kissed my neck, and an unbidden whimper from me encouraged him. His trail of soft kisses sent a shiver through me. Knowing I had to stop him, but not really wanting to, I pulled away reluctantly. His eyes flashed as he looked at me. "Are you _serious_?"

Looking at the ground, I shrugged. "We can't." He pushed away from me as his face grew angry. "You know I want to," I pleaded. Standing, he took a few steps away before turning to face me.

"Guess you don't want to enough," he shot back. His words hurt, but I tried to keep my face smooth. Pushing aside my feelings, I focused on calming him. We had both avoided any emotional outbursts for over a week. Carlisle said it was a good sign. Hoping to convince him to let us meet the rest of the family, I was anxious to avoid a blow-up now.

"Honey," I crooned, keeping my voice soft. Standing, I reached for him. "You know how strong we are now. We have to learn more control." When I took a step towards him, he raised his hand for me to stop. He simply continued to glare at me without speaking. I hated when he did that. My first impulse was to stomp away, but I squashed it. "It won't be much longer. We just have to wait a little more." Stepping closer despite his glare, I smiled sweetly. "And then you can have me whenever you want."

His anger melted away. The new look on his face told me that I had gone too far.

_Diane, you idiot!_ _What are you thinking?_ I yelled at myself when I realized, too late, what I had said.

Desire was in his eyes when he took a step towards me. Without thinking, I took a step back. Taking it as rejection, he was instantly angry again.

"This is ridiculous! You are my _wife_! We have been here for a month." He started to pace. "Four weeks keeping my hands off you. Do you know how _hard_ it's been?"

Well yes, I did, actually. But, I decided to keep that little piece of information to myself.

"Especially now that you look like _that_." His hand quickly motioned from my head to my feet. With his jaw clenched tightly, he seethed, "Now we're finally _alone_, where we can't be _heard_, and you're going to tell me _no_?" My husband's anger was growing quickly. I racked my brain, desperate for a way to calm him down.

"How about a little tension breaker?" I challenged.

He stopped short. "What do you mean?"

Looking around, I spotted a fallen tree in the forest. It wasn't too far from the clearing—should still be okay. "Come with me," I whispered, taking his hand. A plan had formed in my mind that I hoped was enough to calm my husband without getting both of us into a lot of trouble. We reached our destination quickly.

"You stand here," I instructed as I led him next to the fallen tree. Then I hopped over what was now a barricade between us. The log was large enough for me to place my hands on while standing on my feet. "I will stand here. Now, we both put our hands on the tree." Placing my hands flat on the rough bark, I waited until he copied me. When he did, I continued. "Here are the rules:"

Scott was hanging on my every word.

"Hands stay on the tree. Feet stay on the ground. Can you agree to that?" He nodded, leaning closer. His eyes were calling me to him. I leaned in, wanting him to kiss me while hoping I wasn't causing a disaster.

As his lips found mine he let out a low moan, and I almost forgot my own rules. The extra mental capacity was a good thing because it took most of it to focus on staying put as desire for my husband rose, threatening to root out all rational thought. Our lips moved against each other like it was our first kiss so many years ago. Still, it _was_ our first vampire kiss, and it was long and deep. Neither of us wanted it to end. When it did, it was only because he moved his lips to my neck. An involuntary purr rose from my chest.

He softly murmured against my skin, "Hmmm, that's new. I wonder what other sounds I can get you to make."

"Scott", I gasped, "that feels wonderful…but…you need to stop." Who was I kidding?

"No way," he growled. "My hands and feet are right where they're supposed to be. Your rules, remember?" Hey, he had a point, so I didn't argue. Good thing our vampire bodies didn't need to breathe because for several minutes I forgot how. Our kisses, sighs, and moans were coming faster. His mouth alternated from my lips to my neck. Want and need raged between us.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting array of cracks and rumbles shot from beneath our hands. We startled and jumped back, flying away from each other in a flash. Looking down, I was stunned to see the tree, shredded and broken. In our passion, we had lost control of our strength and destroyed it. The amount of power our bodies now had was overwhelming. We stood there, panting, trying to catch our breath. Scott had the audacity to let a smug smile cross his face. Much to my horror, our chaperones appeared quickly.

"What on earth did you do?" Edward demanded. Emmett flashed to his side twelve seconds later.

"We were trying…something," Scott replied with embarrassment.

Edward smirked and ran his hand through his hair. "Oh…" he trailed off.

Stupid, mind-reading vampire!

"I think you need to speak to Carlisle about this." He called out, barely above a normal speaking voice. "Carlisle, would you join us, please?"

One minute and twenty-one seconds later, Carlisle was there. First he looked at the tree then he looked at Edward. The look of shock on his face might have been funny if we hadn't caused the destruction, and we weren't going to have to explain it all. But we had, and we were—this was going to be embarrassing.

"Carlisle, they need to speak with you privately. Emmett, join me on a quick hunt." Was he smirking? Of course he was. Edward disappeared without another word and Emmett followed. Before they were out of sight Emmett let out a burst of laughter. Great, we would definitely be hearing about this later. I wanted to dig a hole where I stood and bury myself. The word "humiliated" didn't even begin to cover it.

"Can you please tell me what happened to the tree?" Carlisle asked gently.

Scott and I looked at each other.

"_There's no way I'm telling him," _I thought. _"I don't think I can stand here while _you_ do."_ Looking down, I took a few steps back, just to see if I could get away with it.

His look turned into a glare. _"Don't you dare leave!" _he commanded silently, holding out his hand.

I hesitated.

"_Come here, please." _He wiggled his fingers.

Letting out a very long sigh of protest, I flitted to him and took his hand.

Carlisle face darkened. "Were you two fighting?"

"No. Well, it was a bit of the opposite." Scott glanced at me, but there was no way I was going to say a word. "You see, we have become quite frustrated…because of the…restriction."

Carlisle looked confused.

Scott rubbed to back of his neck. "The day we woke up you asked us to…uh…_refrain_…"

Now Carlisle looked shocked. "You are _still_ refraining?"

We both nodded. Oh, how I wanted to dig that hole!

Now Carlisle looked as embarrassed as we did. Then his lips began to twitch. He was actually fighting a smile. "I am very sorry. I should have told you that was only a precaution for the first week. I never considered that you were still…not…" He coughed over his chuckle. "My apologies."

"In that case," Scott said as he led me away, "we'll see you in a day or two." He paused just long enough to look over his shoulder. "Umm, sorry about the tree."

Carlisle was actually laughing now. "Don't give the tree another thought."

As soon as we reached the guest house, Scott locked the door. While it wouldn't keep any vampires out, it was enough to let them know we wanted to be left alone.

The blue track suit was in shreds before we got to the bedroom, and Scott's clothes soon followed. As soon as our lips met, the rest of the world faded away, and we gave ourselves to each other with abandon.

We learned quickly that while we didn't need to be careful with each other, we did need to be careful with our surroundings. First, I tossed one of my shoes _into _the wall in my haste to be rid of it. The beautiful white comforter was the next casualty when we tried to move it out of the way without enough care. Then, I tore a large chunk out of the edge of the mattress.

Everything just seemed so _fragile_ when our minds were on each other. We decided to keep the destruction private and planned to clean everything up ourselves. We would have to tell Carlisle about the damage, of course, since the wall would have to be repaired. Scott planned to ask Carlisle to add the cost of these things to the total cost of our time with his family.

It took two days before we felt like venturing out again. Not needing to sleep came in handy. Still, being newborns, our thirst soon overcame our desire. Eventually, we got dressed so we could find Emmett and Edward to let them know we needed to hunt.

After hearing that Edward had gone to visit his family, I felt that familiar pang of guilt. We were the reason they were separated. Knowing how hard it was to be separated from a spouse made the guilt multiply. I planned to convince Carlisle to let us meet the family as soon as possible. There had been no lapses in our control in two weeks. Now that our "restriction" was out of the way, our self-control seemed solid.

Emmett and Jasper took us hunting farther than before. We were glad to find a few mountain lions. Of course Emmett got in his share of teasing about our "absence." Jasper was much nicer. We really didn't mind the teasing. After all, we weren't exactly newlyweds. Emmett didn't like that we took it all in stride and soon tired of his comments.

Having fully sated our thirst, we washed in a nearby stream. With Edward away and Carlisle at the hospital, there was no need to hurry back. We all settled on the grass near the water. Since everyone was in such a good mood, I decided to ask a question that had been bouncing around in my head.

"Jasper," I asked softly "I don't mean to offend you, but can you please tell me why you have so many scars?"

Scott was not pleased. "Diane, that's not—"

"It's all right," Jasper interrupted. He shrugged a shoulder. "I really don't mind now that I know you better."

We sat in stunned silence as Jasper told us about Maria, the vampire that had changed him. His story of how he had trained newborns to fight in her army for southern territory shocked and appalled us. Jasper clenched his hands together when he recalled how the newborns were not allowed to live past their first year because their strength had waned. With his eyes on the ground, he revealed it had been his job to kill them—under Maria's orders.

Scott's gaze never left Jasper as he told of his service in Maria's army. He was the only other there that had known war. When Jasper finally looked up, his eyes met Scott's. Silent respect and comprehension passed between them, and they gave each other the slightest of nods. He understood Jasper more than I ever would.

Jasper finished his tale by telling us how he met Alice and about when they came to be part of the Cullen family. It was the first time I heard her name.

"Alice sounds lovely." I sighed. I had always liked to hear real-life love stories almost as much as I liked to tell my own. "I hope we get to meet her soon. Please, Jasper, tell me about her."

Jasper grinned and his eyes shone. "My darlin' Alice _is_ lovely, full of life, and brings me endless joy—that alone is a huge because of my gift. She's a bundle of energy and can make things happen so fast it'll make your head spin. She likes to shop _a lot_ and has a thing for fashion."

My eyes lit up at that. "Our closet?"

Jasper nodded affectionately. "Oh yes. That was her. She enjoyed that quite a bit."

"Oh, I can't wait to thank her!"

Jasper chuckled and went on. "She saved me from the darkest years I have ever known." His voice grew soft and reverent. "She's my life and my world, my soul mate." Lying back onto the grass, he went on. "People wonder how we can be together 'cause we're so different in some ways. She tends to get so excited she bounces, and I'm more reserved. Alice likes to be in the middle of everythin', and I, well, I like to keep to myself."

"You balance each other," I offered.

"That's right. Watchin' her bounce around when she's workin' on some crazy scheme of hers makes me happy. Now, give me a test of strategy or a battle to fight and I'm in my element. My darlin' understands me like no one else—accepts me and my past. I couldn't live without her."

Guilt washed over me again. "Oh Jasper! I'm so, so sorry you are being kept away from her because of us! How much longer will this have to go on?" A sudden wave of calm wrapped around me. I glared at the calm-maker. "You didn't have to do that." I huffed. "I wasn't going to lose it."

"I know," Jasper replied. "I just don't like to feel anyone suffer."

I cocked my head to the side. "So you actually _feel_ what others around you feel? That's must be difficult."

He shrugged. "It can be tryin' at times."

"Your accent kinda comes and goes, huh?"

Jasper looked over at me with an amused smile. "I tend to let it go when I don't have to try so hard to be human. It also tends to come out more when I get angry."

Emmett chuckled. "Yeah, like when The Major comes out to play."

"Shut it, Emmett," Jasper snapped.

We all fell silent. My thoughts lingered on the separation of the Cullens. The guilt would not leave me and, of course, Jasper could feel it.

"There's no need for your worry. We're all familiar with the newborn phase—myself more than the others—and we understand what you're going through. Your control is improvin', and both of you are handlin' things well."

"How much longer?" I whined

"That's up to Carlisle," Jasper answered. "He'll let us know when he thinks it's safe. Besides, we're taking turns to visit the rest of the family. It's not that bad." He grinned at me, so I gave him a small smile to acknowledge his words, but I didn't feel any better.

Emmett finally spoke up. "It's Edward we're going to have to worry about. He's worried about his little girl. He can be a real overbearing pain in the rear."

"Can't blame a man for protecting his family," Scott said flatly. "We won't begrudge him that." He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. "Be patient, sweetheart."

Once we were back in the main house, the men gravitated to the Playstation. They invited me to play, but I wasn't interested. As I wandered around the room I found a shelf of photo albums.

"Mind if I look through these?"I asked to anyone listening.

"Help yourself," Emmett replied. "Esme loves to show those things off."

The spines of the albums were labeled with years; each covered a fifty-year span. Thinking I would like to see the most recent pictures, I grabbed the album on the far right. Settling into the sofa, I began to look through it. Naturally, the subjects in these photos were vampires. Of course there were pictures of all of the Cullens. There were also vampires that I had never seen before. I amused myself by noticing their clothes and hairstyles.

Turning the page, the next photo caught my eye because Jasper was in it. Guessing that the tiny woman his arms was Alice, I looked at the other vampires with them. One face jumped out at me. Did my body actually get colder?

My mind began to race. _Can it be? How's that possible? No! What do I do now?_ Needing time to think, I decided to return the album to the shelf. Before I could, the sofa shifted next to me.

"Whoa there, what's got you feelin' such dread?" Jasper drawled as he sat beside me. He touched the photo I was looking at and laughed softly. "Well I always knew Peter and I were ugly, but I didn't think it was _that_ bad."

I gawked at him. "How did you know…"

"Empath, remember?"he replied with a smirk.

_Great. Are there no secrets around here?_ Suppressing a groan, I resigned myself to the fact I would probably have to come clean. Well…maybe not.

Hearing Jasper, Scott sat on my other side and looked at the picture. "Who's Peter?"

Jasper smiled. "He was my Captain in Maria's army. He became my only brother until I joined this motley crew." Looking at me, he narrowed his eyes. "Why did this stir such feelin's in you?"

Not wanting to lie, I pointed to the vampire on the far left of the grouping.

"Oh, that's Yani. She sure was a spitfire. Peter and Char, that's his mate," he pointed to the vampire wrapped in Peter's arms, "came across Yani on their way here and brought her to visit. She was a friend of a friend, so they knew it'd be alright."

"Unusual name: Yani," Scott mused.

Jasper nodded. "That's her nickname. Her full name is—"

"Tatiana," I finished for him without thinking. _How did I know that?_

Jasper opened his mouth to ask the obvious question, but Scott cut him off. "Just like your middle name."

I nodded.

Jasper shrugged. "A coincidence."

"I don't know," I admitted, tracing the face in the photo with my finger. "She seems…familiar."

Jasper tilted his head. "Diane, your human memories can't always be trusted. Only those that you treasure or have strong emotional ties to will stay, and they'll be faint at best, unless you replay them enough to make them last."

"I'm guess I'm just confused," I hedged.

It was a long time ago. A dark part of my life, something I had never talked about. Memories that refused to completely burn away in the fires of transformation had been pressing on me: fuzzy and painful. The darkness had nagged at me since I woke as a vampire, but I pushed it away. I wanted to remember, and I wanted to forget. Still, if the fuzzy memories were true there could be no evidence.

My finger ran along the face in the picture once more. "Jasper, please tell me you burned those journals."

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

07.04.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: SqueakyZorro**, **Evil Pumpkin**, **and

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

This chapter is better because of you. Yay!

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Jasper gets more attention in this chapter and will in later ones as well. Edward is still a bit grumpy but will lighten up soon as well.

There is a bit of lemonade in this chapter but no full lemons, just so ya know. ;)

Please review. I want to know what you liked and what you didn't...please?

~MA


	7. Family Ties

7

Family Ties

Jasper pursed his lips. I'm pretty sure my words offended him. "You asked me to burn them, and I said I would. I burned them. To ash. Nothin' left."

I rose to leave. "Thank you, Jasper. That's all I needed to know."

Scott's hand snapped out and took my wrist. "I don't think so. I'd like an explanation, and I think Jasper would, too."

The thought of sharing what little I knew formed a lump in my throat. "Please, no, I can't. Not yet." Scott looked at me with disbelief on his face. I needed some time to process everything, to be sure. "Just let me think things through for a while. Perhaps Jasper is right; the memory could be wrong."

_Please let it be wrong. _

_I'm pretty sure it's right, but what does it all mean?_

"I'll tell you everything, but not until I'm ready, okay?" Looking deep into his eyes, I silently begged that he'd understand.

Nodding, Scott let me go. "All right, when you're ready." It hurt him, but how could I explain to him something I didn't understand myself?

Jasper stayed quiet, but watched me carefully, as I took one last look at the picture before placing the album back on the shelf. It was unnerving that he knew exactly what I was feeling. At least Edward wasn't here. I'd have to be very careful around him, or he would think I had lost my mind. You get treated differently when people think you're crazy.

Four more weeks passed before any more was said about Scott and me meeting the rest of the family. Both of us had a few minor flares of our newborn tempers after the day we talked with Jasper and Emmett, but they were nothing compared to those first ones. In fact, it had been two weeks since any of the Cullen men had needed to correct us on our behavior.

Scott never mentioned Yani, but I knew he had to be thinking about her. I sure was. Ever since I had seen that picture, something had shifted in my mind. Like lightning, bits and pieces of human memories flashed through my head at random.

_The feeling of being watched—that face—trees._

_That face—a locked door—a block of wood._

_Fear—trust no one—that face._

Not knowing when the images and feelings would strike was maddening. Could I trust them? Were they real or just nightmares from a time in my life I was trying to forget? What caused the darkness that surrounded them? I was beyond frustrated and nowhere near ready to talk about it. My husband's patience had its limit, and I knew I was pushing it.

We had just returned to the main house after cleaning up from our latest hunt. Even though we no longer ended up covered in blood or with ripped clothing, I had gotten into the habit of changing after a hunt. I was determined that Alice would know that the effort she had put into our closet was greatly appreciated—by me, at least. Scott would've been just as happy with a few pairs of jeans and a dozen shirts.

As we entered the living room, we found the Cullen men sitting at the long dining room table. Using the table meant something serious was up.

"Please join us." Carlisle motioned us over. "We have something to discuss, and it involves all of us."

As we sat down, I noticed that Edward seemed unhappy. He had looked that way a lot since we'd met him. Knowing that he hadn't liked us since day one, I automatically took any sour mood of his personally. After looking at his expression again, I decided he looked much more than unhappy—he looked mad. Yes, definitely mad.

"It is time for the rest of the family to come home," Carlisle stated simply. "In order for that to happen, we need to discuss a few things."

Edward stiffened in his chair but didn't say anything. Why was he so upset? Scott and I had been behaving ourselves. There had been no lapses in our self-control in weeks. What was his problem?

Emmett, on the hand, was pleased with Carlisle's announcement. "About time! When will they be here?"

Carlisle raised his hand. "Just a moment, Emmett. Arrangements are being made. I take it you are okay with Rose coming back home?"

"Hell, yeah!" Emmett boomed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Carlisle turned to Jasper without answering. "Jasper, do you consent to Alice returning as well?"

Jasper didn't hesitate. "We spoke about this earlier. I haven't changed my mind. There's no reason for her not to. Things might be a bit easier for Diane if she had the girls here. I aim to let her and Alice spend as much time together as they like."

Edward huffed. "Ludicrous!"

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why is that, brother?"

With that one word—_brother_—I instantly knew we shouldn't be a part of this meeting. They were a _family_. These men were trying to decide if it was safe for them to bring their wives home. Trying to decide if _we_ were safe. I'd thought of suggesting that we should leave when Edward brought his hand down on the table, making it shudder.

"They're only two months old!" he growled. "It's not safe. It's too soon! We have to consider _everyone_ who will be coming home." As I pondered his expression again, I decided that Edward didn't just look angry—he also looked afraid.

"Edward…" Carlisle's tone was disapproving. _Did he just correct Edward?_

Edward fell silent—wow, definitely a correction. Watching him deal with the irrationally angry vampire increased my respect for Carlisle. A low hiss shot from Edward as his eyes shifted to me.

Carlisle put his hand on Edward's shoulder and spoke softly. "Son, we have been over this privately. We have to consider everyone's opinions. It should not be decided by the four husbands alone. Our wives have made their preferences clear—they _want_ to come home. It is now a matter of coming to an agreement on how things will work from here."

"May I say something?" Scott asked.

All eyes went to my husband after Carlisle nodded.

"It's clear that by…helping us, you're putting your family through a trial. If you're not comfortable with us being around them, perhaps we should go."

"That is out of the question!" Edward thundered. His sudden volume made me jump in my seat, which drew a soft, protective growl from Scott. I squeezed his hand to let him know I was okay, and his growl faded.

Carlisle placed his hand back on Edward's shoulder, and I saw Edward relax a bit. He gave the slightest of nods. What Carlisle was silently telling him?

Looking back at us, Carlisle chose his words carefully. "You already know that by changing you, I became responsible for your actions. If there should be an incident where your adherence to the law was questioned, the Volturi would come here—to me."

"Yes, of course," Scott murmured.

Carlisle had educated us on the laws that govern all vampires. The secret of our kind had to be kept. It was expected that any newborns one created were looked after. We were the newborns, and if we made a mistake or did anything to endanger the secret of our world, Carlisle and his family would be held responsible. Those that ruled, the Volturi, would exact their justice not only on us, but also on the Cullen family. Just the thought of the Cullens suffering for our actions made me shudder. We would never want to endanger them that way.

Scott continued. "Carlisle, we understand that this is your family, and we're grateful for all you've done for us and our children. It's important that you know we don't want to be a danger to your loved ones in any way. Please, just tell us what you need us to do."

It did not escape my notice that Edward's eyes drifted to my husband. For just a moment, he looked like he was in awe of what Scott had said and that he believed it. After that moment, the hardness returned to his face, and it was reflected in his voice. "That is _precisely_ why we are here. You will absolutely _not_ be a danger to those we love, and you will do _exactly_ as we ask."

I wanted to crawl under the table.

My husband had other ideas, and he leveled his gaze at Edward. "Someday, Edward, we'll earn your trust. Why don't you save your judgment until you really know us, okay?"

Edward's shrugged silently with a blank expression, and I suppressed a scoff. My money was on Scott.

"Please understand that we do not doubt your intentions," Carlisle stated calmly. "However, special consideration must be given to Edward and Bella's daughter."

Of course, the little girl! Edward had mentioned a child while we were burning. His fear and anger were completely understandable where his daughter was concerned.

Carlisle went on. "We ask that you never allow yourself to be in the house unless you are together, since you can calm each other better than Jasper can. Also, please make sure that you are never in a room with Renesmee, Edward's daughter, unless there are at least three others in the room. That way, if something should happen, one of us could protect her while leaving two more to deal with the problem." He looked uncomfortable telling us this, but we understood.

"Very tactical," Scott said dryly. "We can live with your rules."

"We really do understand," I whispered. "If we were in your position, we would do the same to protect—I mean, if it were one of ours…"

Carlisle looked at me tenderly. "Thank you, both of you; I thought as much."

"But…" I was still whispering—I didn't know why. "Will we be able to get to know them, your wives? I would really like to meet them and make friends."

Edward stiffened again. Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett all nodded. I wondered if that meant I was not allowed to get to know Edward's wife, Bella, but I didn't dare ask.

"There is still the matter of the wolves," Edward said coolly. "Have you to spoken to Sam?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes. Naturally, he is very unhappy. He has agreed to leave things as they are, for now, provided there are no problems." He turned to us. "Sam is the leader of the wolf pack on the La Push Reservation that we told you about."

The treaty the Cullens had with the Quileute tribe stated they would not create any new vampires. However, shortly after we woke up, Carlisle had called Sam and explained our situation. He made sure Sam understood about our children. Because we were dying, there had been no time to ask permission before it was done. He had assured Sam that we would not hunt humans and that we would respect the treaty.

Oh, the trouble we were causing the Cullens at every turn!

"Now that all that is settled, there is one more thing." A wide grin spread across Carlisle's face. "I have a gift for you."

After all we had put this man and his family through—he was giving us more? I was speechless.

"Carlisle—" Scott shook his head. "We couldn't possibly accept another thing."

Carlisle smiled. "It brings me great joy to do this for you." He lifted a thick envelope off of the table and handed it to me. "I took the liberty of hiring a private investigator—well a team of them, actually. They will keep an eye on your children and report to you each month."

Scott started to protest, but the familiar hand went up. Its effect was the same on vampires of all ages in the house. He may have been a father figure and mentor, but he was still the coven leader.

"It has already been arranged that the fee be paid from your personal account. But since they know our family, it was better that I made the arrangements. You will get a package, like this one, every month that will give you as much detail as possible about your children."

With trembling fingers, I began to open the envelope.

Carlisle put his hand on mine. "This first one may be difficult. Although you have been with us for two months, you would not have been able to handle the first report until now. I suggest you open it together in private. However, once you do that, you may share with us whatever you wish."

"Thank you so much," I choked out. Then I hopped to my feet and hugged him. "Nothing I can ever do will thank you enough for this."

He hugged me in return with a gentle pat to my back. "You are very welcome. Go now. I know you are anxious to open that. If you want to save any of the pictures, the supplies you need will be in the hall closet: albums and things. You can thank Alice for that."

"_Let's go!" _I thought to Scott. Without waiting for him, I left and was in our sitting room as fast as I dared to go.

How could my vampire husband move so slowly? I was bouncing in my seat when Scott finally caught up with me. Okay, so it had only been three minutes and nine seconds. He was nice enough to actually say goodbye to everyone before chasing after his very rude wife who left without another word. I could tell he wanted to reprimand me for leaving so abruptly. However, something in my expression changed his mind, and he gave a small smile instead. In my excitement, I didn't really notice at the time that he looked a bit tense. Taking my hand, he led me to the kitchen table that we would never eat at. "More room," he explained.

Once we were seated, I carefully tore the envelope flap open and started to pull out the stack of pictures and documents. Scott's hand stopped me; his smile gone, his expression blank. He reached over and took the envelope, slid the stack of papers out and placed the envelope on top.

"Why?" I asked.

"Sweetheart," he whispered, "we don't know what we'll see, but I have a good idea. Let's just pull out one page at a time."

He reached under the envelope, pulled out the top item, and set it on the table between us. A glossy eight by ten color photo showed a heartbreaking scene. I recognized the location right away. It was the place where we had crashed on the last day of our human lives. That day had played over in my mind so many times I knew I would never forget it. Near the edge of that fateful cliff stood two wreaths: the first, adorned with a pink ribbon, had my picture in the middle, and the other had a blue ribbon and held a picture of Scott. Standing by the wreaths were our children.

Our children: dressed in black, eyes rimmed in red, clutching each other. Grief and suffering was etched on each precious face. The sight of it knocked the breath out of me. I clasped one hand to my mouth and gripped my husband with the other. Shaking, I struggled not to cry out because I knew the others would hear.

Scott wound his arms around me tightly and whispered in my ear with a breaking voice. "Don't hold it in, sweetheart. You have to let it out, or it will eat at you 'til you do."

That was all I needed to hear. A scream of grief came from me that shook the house. I didn't dare touch anything but my husband, for fear I would destroy it. Scott's cries soon mingled with my own. All we could do was hold each other and vocalize our grief. Instantly, there were voices outside our door.

It was Carlisle. "No, Jasper, do not try to calm them. They have to grieve. If they are not allowed to deal with it fully now, they will just have to deal with it later."

"I can't bear it." Jasper gasped loudly. "Such crushin' grief and pain. I feel it all. It's…I can't… "

"Go," Edward urged. "We'll stay here with them."

Anger began to swirl with grief inside me. Suddenly screaming was not enough to give full vent to my loss and pain. Ever since I awoke as a vampire, it had been a constant struggle to keep my emotions, mostly my anger, in check. Usually the rage I dealt with was irrational. This anger was completely rational: It was justified.

If I didn't find some way to release my fury, I was going to hurt someone. My head was spinning as I searched for a way to cope.

"Scott, I have to get out of here. Please come with me." Not waiting for his answer, I shot of out the house at vampire speed. As I passed Carlisle and Edward, I quickly told them that we wouldn't go far and to please not follow.

Carlisle's voice floated to us as we sped away. "We are here if you need us."

I really didn't want anyone but Scott at that moment. He came up beside me and matched my pace. We made our way through the trees in silence.

It was easy to find the fallen tree where our little challenge had taken place. To deal with my rage, I needed a physical way to release the storm building within. As soon as I reached my target, I froze and checked myself. While I wanted to vent my fury, I knew that I had to maintain my focus or I would destroy everything in sight. Scott stopped behind me, giving me some space, seemingly unsure of what I was about to do. Locking my eyes on the tree, I brought my fist down with a shriek.

With all the strength I had, I pounded my grief into that tree. My screams and growls rang out with the sounds of splitting wood as my fists came down again and again.

_I miss my children! _

_It's not fair!_

_Our deaths have changed their lives forever._

_I will never hold them again. Never!_

It all came down upon that log lying on the forest floor. I screamed and yelled and pounded until there was nothing left. What I didn't manage to turn into splinters I simply pounded into the ground.

Seeing the total destruction of my victim, I fell silent and still. Scott's arms were around me in a moment, and we sank to the ground as a fresh wave of cries broke from my chest. Our sobs mingled together as we sat, embracing each other, releasing our pain. Surprisingly, I didn't know how long we stayed there. After our cries died away, Scott lifted my chin and looked into my eyes.

"Did you get it all out?" he asked softly.

Embarrassed at my tantrum, I tried to turn away, but he wouldn't release me. Still I averted my eyes. "I'm sorry. I just needed to—"

He tilted my chin a bit more. "Diane, look at me." I met his gaze reluctantly. "My love, you have nothing to apologize for. It was a good idea, and it actually helped." Seeing my confusion, he laughed and kissed my forehead. "Didn't you even notice that I destroyed the other half of that poor tree?"

"No, I didn't notice at all," I admitted. "Hmm, perhaps we've invented a new kind of couples' therapy for vampires."

Scott chuckled at my musing and kissed my nose again. "We should get back, sweetheart. I heard Carlisle and Edward follow us. They've given us some space, but we shouldn't make them worry."

"I'm not ready to see the family yet," I whispered. "Can we just go back to our place?" He nodded as he rose and took my hand.

Carlisle and Edward followed us while we made our way back to the little house. They just watched when we walked through our front door and closed it behind us. Going back to the kitchen table, my eyes rested on the stack of pages. I reached out to turn over the next picture when Scott stopped me. "No. No more right now."

I didn't argue. When he lifted me, my head fell against his chest as he carried me to our bed. My vampire body didn't need to rest, but my mind was exhausted. We lay in bed in silence, just holding each other. Sobs broke from us, mostly me, until night fell.

Sometime during the night, we started talking. It wasn't really a steady stream of conversation since there were long periods of silence in between our thoughts. We talked about how we should be happy that our children were alive. It was the loss of the time we would have with them that we mourned. We talked about how, thanks to Carlisle, we would get more pictures and news of them as they grew. That first picture also taught me that we should always look at one thing at a time, and that the envelopes would not always bring good news.

When daylight finally broke through our windows, Scott suggested we go back to the table.

The next seven pictures were from the same day as the first photo. All of our parents were there, as well as all of our siblings. We were loved by those who had traveled so far just to say goodbye. Natalie, my only sister, had come from New York. How I would miss her and our weekly talks. Who would she confide in now?

Newspaper clippings followed. There were articles about the crash, the search, and how it had been called off after two weeks. The last clippings were our obituaries and the funeral announcement. Following that was a picture taken inside the funeral home. From the back of the room, it showed two wreaths just like the ones from the first photo. The room was packed with our family and friends. It was all very humbling.

After that there were documents. Custody of the children had been granted to Scott's sister and her husband, as we had wanted. They had moved into our house after several necessary repairs were made using the fund that had been established for that purpose. The children missed three weeks of school, but they had all gone back after that.

Lastly, there was a picture of our home—now their home—dated three days ago. A new minivan sat in the driveway and our children, dressed for church, walking toward it. They were actually smiling. The smiles on the oldest two looked forced, but for teenagers it was understandable.

Wordlessly, Scott gathered up the pictures and documents and put them back in the envelope. Then he walked to the hall closet and laid the envelope on the shelf there. "Let's not look at that for a while," he whispered. I nodded weakly. It was so much to take in.

He scooped me up again and carried me back to our bed. We found solace in each other as we expressed our love, slowly and softly, just once. Then we went back to silently holding each other as the night fell and the day broke again.

Scott turned to me as the new morning light streamed into our room. His gaze was tender when his eyes met mine. "Diane, we can't continue to dwell on what we've lost. We must continue on whatever path this new life has for us. We'll keep tabs on the children, but we have to move forward."

Of course he was right. I'd grieve the loss of my humanity—and my motherhood—for the rest of my time on this earth. Still, we had been given the chance to have the "many more years" we'd longed for as we lay dying. Our children were provided for, and they were much better off financially. We'd have to be content with watching them from afar regardless of how much it hurt.

I would do my best to do as Scott wanted. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love _you_," he whispered back.

We left our bed, showered, and got dressed. Holding hands, we left our room and went to face the rest of our new life. After closing the door, we had only taken two steps toward the main house when we heard it. The sound froze us both, bolting us to the ground where we stood.

A tiny heart—pumping blood and thrumming loudly.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

07.14.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin**, **JointGifts**, **and KT

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Vamptastic thanks to my betas. Your input made this chapter better than it started out.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Make sure to leave me a few lines in the white box below. Let me know what you liked and what you didn't.

Pretty please with sparkly sprinkles on top?

~MA


	8. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

8

Actions speak louder than words

Looking around, Scott called out, "Carlisle? Edward?" He didn't speak loudly, of course—we were all vampires, after all. Seven seconds later, all four Cullen men appeared. Jasper and Emmett stayed by the entrance to the main house. Edward and Carlisle came to meet us.

Carlisle looked both of us in the eyes with compassion. "Have you finished grieving the loss of your human life?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, I think we have," Scott replied. "Thank you for your generous gift. We hope you don't think we were ungrateful earlier. The pictures of our children, mourning for us, were difficult to see."

Carlisle shook his head slowly. "I never thought badly of you, not for a minute."

The heartbeat continued its fast thrum. As much as I tried to give my full focus to the conversation going on around me, I never could take my attention from the sound of pumping blood.

"_Scott! Ask them about the heartbeat."_

"We called you because we hear a heartbeat. It's very fast. " Scott murmured.

Edward tensed. "The heartbeat you hear is Renesmee's. You understand why we all came to meet you?"

"You want to be sure we can be safe around her," I stated simply. "How can we do that without putting her in danger?"

Edward held up a small bag. "We've thought of that. We're going to let you take in her scent from a garment she wore last night to see how you respond to it."

"Good. She has no chance of being harmed if we react badly," I replied.

Edward opened the plastic bag, took out a small shirt, and held it out to us. The scent was confusing. I could only smell the human at first, but the vampire followed quickly, making a scent that was very interesting. I wanted to keep sniffing, but it didn't smell like anything I'd want to hunt.

All eyes turned to Jasper. Jasper raised a finger before he turned around and looked at a small, graceful vampire with short, black, spiky hair. Alice! I recognized her from the photograph. When she met his eyes, she gave a thumbs up and bounced on the balls of her feet happily.

He turned back to us with smile. "They're fine. They react to her scent the way we all do. Alice agrees there's no danger."

Relief washed over me. I was so glad that her scent did not evoke any hunting instinct. Everyone relaxed—except for Edward. His cautious eyes told me that he wanted to believe Jasper, but was afraid for his only child.

I needed to ease Edward's mind. "If it will make you feel better, we can stay away from her. We don't have to touch her or even speak to her if that's what you and your wife want."

Edward's brow furrowed in thought, his voice tight when he finally spoke. "If you could do that for a while, just to see how things go, I would be grateful."

"Gladly," I replied. I offered a smile, but his face didn't change as he went into the house.

Carlisle patted my shoulder when I let out a huff. "Give him some time. I'm sure it will be fine."

As soon as Edward left us, the little black-haired vampire was bouncing in front of me. "Hi, Diane! I'm Alice. Jasper tells me you like your closet." Her eyes took an inventory of my choice of clothing for the day. "Very nice. It's good to see _someone_ who appreciates my work. Perhaps you can talk to Bella about that."

"The closet is lovely, Alice." My thanks were muffled by her enthusiastic hug. "I adore it. You must really like to shop."

She beamed. "Truly, I do! As soon as Carlisle gives you the 'all clear,' we'll have to take a shopping trip together. Would you like that?"

Now I was beaming. "Oh, yes! Very much!"

"Excellent!" She turned to my husband. "Hey, Scott." Her eyes ran over his clothes. "You're a jeans-wearing guy I see. Did I get the style and size right?"

Scott laughed. "Absolutely. Thank you very much, Alice."

Alice grabbed my free hand and yanked me into the house. Since I never let go of my husband, he came along for the ride.

She acted like she had found a couple of lost puppies. "Here they are! Scott, Diane, this is Esme, Bella, and Rosalie." She motioned to each of the beautiful ladies in turn and we all traded smiles. "Edward is holding Renesmee over by the piano."

Turning, I saw Edward sitting on the piano bench. A simple melody filled the room, a piece too simple for Edward. A tiny hand came into view briefly, revealing that Renesmee was playing. Respecting Edwards's rules, I stifled a sigh, turned back around, and went to the sofa. I reminded myself that I must be patient and respect Edward's and Bella's wishes.

Edward called to his wife. "Bella, love, could you come here please?" He picked up a newspaper that had been lying on the bench next to him and handed it to her. "Did you know about this?"

Bella read briefly. "Wow. No, I didn't know. Tragic."

Rosalie jerked her chin toward the paper. "What's up?"

"Remember Lauren from high school?"

"Yeah, she was always so mean," Rosalie sneered. "What about her?"

Bella held up the paper. "She moved to California to attend Pepperdine University. Two days ago, she was killed in a car crash."

Rosalie was unmoved. "Oh."

Alice's eyes cut to her sister. "No love lost with you, huh Rose?"

The blonde shrugged. "Humans die. Besides, not one of us knew her outside of school. She hated all of us—especially you, Bella."

While she was right that people die, Rosalie's indifference still seemed wrong. The subject was dropped amid the uncomfortable silence. I made a mental note not to get on Rosalie's bad side.

Esme, Bella, and Rosalie came over to the sofa as I sat down. Scott said hello to each of them before nodding at Emmett, who was waving frantically for Scott to join him in a game. "Relax, Emmett. I'm coming. It would be rude not to speak to these lovely ladies." Scott's gaze shifted to us. "It was nice to meet all of you. Excuse me."

He gave me a quick kiss. _"Enjoy your girl time!" _He thought to me and winked.

"_I will. Hope Emmett doesn't beat you too badly today." _I grinned at him. He scoffed and made his way over to the TV.

Alice didn't miss a thing. "Aww…I think we just missed a tender moment. What a fun gift."

I shrugged. "Carlisle and Edward sure had fun helping us figure it out. It may be fun but I'm not sure it will be as helpful to others as what you, Jasper, and Edward can do."

"Bella, too!" Alice nodded. "She has a mental shield. Came in handy a while back, let me tell you."

My eyes turned to Bella; she truly was lovely. Her dark hair framed her face and fell halfway to her waist. "Hey, Diane," she said. "It is nice to finally meet you. I feel like I know you since we've heard so much about you."

"That means I'm at a disadvantage," I admitted. "I've only heard about Alice and nothing at all about the rest of you."

"Oh, really?" Bella raised an eyebrow, and narrowed her eyes at her husband's back. "Sorry about that. _Someone_ tends to be a tad overprotective."

"Hmmph!" came from the piano bench.

I giggled. "Yeah, I know something about overprotective husbands." I motioned my head toward Scott.

"_You know I can hear you!" _Scott's mental voice softly came to me. He was getting better with his volume control.

I blew him a kiss. _"I wouldn't have you any other way, you hot, sexy, overprotective husband you!"_

Edward moaned. "You know _I_ can hear you, too."

"Correct me if I am wrong, Edward," I said oh-so-sweetly. "You hear it either way, so why does it bother you?"

He ignored me. I tried to suppress my sigh, but it came out anyway.

"Behave, love." Bella whispered.

"Hmmm," was his reply.

"Hello, Diane dear," Esme said gently hugging me. "I am glad you're here. Have you been comfortable in the guest house?"

"Yes, very." I was a bit embarrassed about the still unrepaired damage to the wall and mattress. "Thank you very much for all of your hospitality."

"_Scott?"_

He jerked his head up a tiny bit to show he'd heard me. We'd decided try to keep most of our mental conversations as stealthy as possible. It was kind of fun to have our own little secrets. Yeah, yeah, except when Edward was around.

"_You have to talk to Carlisle about the wall and mattress right away! Don't forget, please!"_

He nodded, just a little.

Edward choked down a laugh.

"_Please mind your own business, Edward." _I wondered if I could growl in my head. I made a note to test that later with Scott.

Edward turned his attention to his daughter. "What would you like for me to play for you, little love?"

A clear small voice rang out. "Play your and Momma's dancing song."

Soft music filled the air and Bella smiled. The tune sounded familiar and I hummed along with the melody.

"You know Clair de Lune?" Bella asked

"Guess I do, but I don't remember hearing it before." Closing my eyes, I continued humming. Without warning, _her_ face and voice flashed into my mind.

_She's in my room—a wooden box—"Keep this, to remember me."_

"_You must never tell anyone that you have seen me."_

_Fear—no escape—betrayal._

_The face in the photograph. _

I squeezed my eyes tighter, trying to keep the images in. I ran them through my mind again and again.

_The same? It can't be. If it is…_

"It is," Edward whispered.

_Edward, please don't mention this to anyone. I need to think. Something is not right about the memory. It feels wrong. When I get things figured out I'll talk to Carlisle._

Edward nodded slightly. Evidently the family was used to Edward saying things that didn't make sense because no one questioned him about it.

I needed to figure out if these memories were true. There had to be a way to make them come rather than waiting for them to appear at random. _Maybe if I talk to Carlisle now._ The thought of sharing what went through my head made me anxious. Hadn't I just shared it all with Edward? I glanced at the men and found Jasper watching me. Judging from the look on his face, he knew something was up with me. Ugh. _Maybe I should just talk to Carlisle now…_

"Hello, Diane," said the devastatingly beautiful Rosalie. "I'm really looking forward to getting to know you better. Perhaps we can take a walk together or something sometime. I could show you my garage where I tinker on our cars." The other women looked shocked for some reason, but I pretended not to notice.

"Thanks, Rosalie," I returned. "I've been looking forward to getting to know all of you. Being the only girl around here wasn't very much fun."

"We have a little gift for you," Esme sang as she handed me a large flat package. "This is for you to hang in your room. We hope you like it." She beamed with happiness as I began to tear at the paper. Apparently Alice shared in her enthusiasm because she was bouncing again.

The piano cut off and Edward was behind me just as I was sliding the paper off the painting. He nervously whispered, "Diane, if you don't want to hang it, we'll understand."

My breath caught as I took my first look at the painting—our last family picture. The children, Scott, and I, all wearing smiles as any happy family should. It was beautiful. My heart ached, but I looked up and smiled in gratitude. At that moment, I was glad that I could no longer shed tears, or I would have spilled a few of the tell-tale drops and ruined the beautiful gesture.

"It's lovely," I breathed. "Thank you all so very much. How did you do this?" I looked over to my husband. "Scott, come and see."

Scott came to my side. If it shocked him, he didn't let on in the slightest. "It is beautiful."

"Jasper saw the photograph hanging in your house. He took a copy of it using the scanner on the desk and emailed it to a painter we know," Alice answered with a sparkling smile.

My eyes searched him out. "Jasper, a special thank you to you."

"My pleasure, ma'am." After a wink, he ducked his head, and it made me giggle.

Scott offered to take it back to the guest house, and he asked Carlisle to go with him. I winced at the thought of Scott showing him the damage that our passion had inflicted.

Edward's snicker—probably due to that last thought—reminded me he was behind me. I peered up at him. "You were worried the painting would upset me?"

He shrugged.

"Thank you," I whispered, as softly as I could, not wanting to embarrass him.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. I'm pretty sure there was a small smile there.

Edward made his way to the TV area and joined in the video game madness that was under way. When Scott and Carlisle returned, they joined in. Trash talk and betting ensued as the testosterone- charged environment worked its magic on the Cullen men and my husband.

I enjoyed the man-free time by getting to know the Cullen ladies. We talked fashion, husbands, and all the things that girls do. After so many weeks stuck in a man-only zone I was starved for female companionship. Alice repeated her desire for a shopping trip once I had sufficient control to be around humans. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a shiny, black Amex card and fanned herself with it. She really got my attention when she bemoaned the fact that she had not been shopping in Paris for two years. I couldn't wait to help her with that!

The men stayed by the TV and played video games, leaving us to our girl talk until two hours and six minutes after the sun set. That was when Edward called from the door, holding his sleeping little girl. "Bella, time to put our angel to bed."

She rose and turned back to me. "I enjoyed our time together, Diane. See you tomorrow, ladies."

Esme and Carlisle left next.

"I'm sensing a pattern here," I murmured to Alice and Rosalie.

"Edward and Bella are usually the first to go." Alice laughed. "Newlyweds."

Just then Jasper tapped Alice on the shoulder."Our turn, darlin'." He gave a little bow toward us. "Goodnight, ladies." Then he offered his arm in a gentlemanly fashion and led his wife to the stairs. Alice flicked her fingers at me in a little wave, and they were gone.

Rosalie glanced at our husbands who were excitedly playing away. Trash talk about who would win and who would lose was flowing hot and heavy. "I think they're going to be there for a while."

"Umm hmm," I replied, smiling. It had been a very pleasant evening.

Rosalie leveled her gaze on me. She seemed to be searching my face. "Diane, how are you _really_ doing?"

"The guys told you about our first package from the PI team and the aftermath, did they?"

She nodded. "I don't mean to pry. If you don't want to talk about it..." She trailed off nervously.

"Thanks for caring, Rosalie," I murmured. "I really am okay. I did my grieving for the life we've lost. We have decided that we are going to try to move on in this one."

"Hmmm. Yeah, I know about grieving the lost human life," Rosalie responded. "Would you like to hear my story?"

"Yes, please!" I was almost desperate to get to know everyone.

Rosalie's tale was heartbreaking. She told of her childhood, which was lovely. She was so very happy then. Her story was not happy after that. When she spoke of the night her human life ended, at the hands of the man she thought was her true love, I wanted to weep for her. I was sorry that she did not seem to really want to be a vampire.

Once she was done we quietly gazed out into the night. She broke the silence when she softly asked, "Will you tell me your story?" Then she hastily tacked on, "It's really all right if you don't want to."

"Oh, it's okay. I wouldn't mind at all." I told her our tale and tried to be brief since I was sure she had heard it already from the others. She flinched a little when I spoke of the choice Carlisle gave us. "It really was no choice at all," I elaborated. "We'd be dead if not for Carlisle. I wanted more time with Scott, and I wanted to watch over my children. I'm not sorry."

Rosalie laughed. "Diane, you're only three months into eternity. We'll talk again in fifty years, okay?" Her tone was a bit patronizing, and it bugged me, but I didn't say so.

"Sure, Rosalie." _Hope that didn't come out rudely._

A wave of lust hit me out of nowhere. Strange, I hadn't been thinking about anything like _that_. My expression betrayed my thoughts.

Rosalie laughed. "That would be Jasper. He tends to project with abandon when he's alone with Alice." It didn't take long for Scott to feel the love, too.

"_Time to go, sweetheart." _Scott called silently.

Suddenly I was anxious to go, too. "Excuse me, Rosalie."

Scott came to my side and took my hand. By the time we turned to say our goodnights, Emmett was halfway up the stairs with his wife over his shoulder.

"What did Carlisle say?" I asked as we entered our front door.

"He understood." Scott laughed. "Apparently he had to _rebuild_ a place or two for Emmett and Rosalie. He was actually pleased the damage was so minimal." We both burst into giggles.

Alone at last, our minds were thinking the same thing as our eyes met. We passed the nighttime hours passionately—thankfully, without inflicting any further damage on the guest house. As daylight streamed through our windows, we remained entwined together. We both would've been happy to spend the whole day that way, but the burn in our throats told us we had to hunt. Showering together led to other things, so it took even longer to make our way to the closet.

After we dressed, Scott called Edward and made plans to hunt. Edward said he and Emmett could be ready to go by two o'clock, which gave us a few hours to ourselves. We decided to pass the time in the library. It was nice to have the space to ourselves where we could have complete privacy—unless Edward was close by, of course. We had curled up together with a book, and while reading, a conversation was sparked about our first date. Actually "disagreement" would be a better term.

"I'm telling you, honey," I said flatly. "My shirt was red."

"No, dear," Scott countered. "It was blue."

"Red."

"Blue."

"_Red!" _

"_Blue!"_

Yeah, we were fighting in thought mode. At least the neighbors couldn't hear. Okay, except for—darn that Edward!

"_RED!"_

"_BLUE!"_

I don't know what made me do it. The picture just formed in my head and I threw it at him with my mind.

"Whoa!" Scott jumped back, slamming into the wall. That's what I got for startling my vampire. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" I demanded.

"I saw us on that night—saw it right in my mind as if I thought it myself. Hey, it was red. Sorry."

My smile was smug. "That's what you get for doubting me. Wait. You _saw_ that?"

"Yes, silly, that's what I just said."

I thought for a minute. "Let me try again." Bringing the same picture to my mind I mentally shoved it at him.

"Yes! I just saw it again," Scott blurted excitedly. "Let me try."

The picture popped into my mind as if I'd thought it myself. It was me in the tiny nightgown I had worn for less than two minutes the night before. It was now in the bathroom trashcan in shreds.

"Aww, I really liked that one; it was pretty," I whined. Many pieces of clothing had fallen victim to our superhuman strength. They tore like tissue paper when we were not careful, especially when our minds were on each other. Who wanted to be careful then? Alice liked to shop, so we happily made it necessary.

"So you saw it!" Scott had a huge grin on his face now. "We have to tell Carlisle about this. Let's go." Scott grabbed my hand, and before I could blink we were out of the front door. That's when we saw her: Renesmee was on the other side of the river.

All by herself.

"_Scott, she's unprotected. Something's wrong!" _I practically screamed at him in my head. The stress of the perceived danger triggered my instinct to be quiet. My feet took an involuntary step forward.

Scott wrapped a hand around my wrist. _"Calm down, sweetheart. Stay put. Let's just look around first."_

I told myself there was no way she would be left to wander alone. My instincts took over, and I began to scan the area with all of my senses. First the scent hit—it was repulsive—then the sight registered in my brain. It all took less than four seconds. A large russet-colored wolf was headed our way, running toward Edward and Bella's only child. She would be completely at its mercy.

The next second Scott was flying toward that wolf. I was right there with him. His mind went into military mode. Over the years I had picked up a fair amount of knowledge from him, so I knew exactly what he was telling me.

"_Straight ahead to target. Land together in his line of sight. You left. Me right. First signal fall back, flanking to the trees. Second signal launch together. Aim for center mass." _Wow! Scott's thoughts were loud.

"_Got it!" _I shot back.

As we came to the river we leaped at the precise angle needed to get directly in the path of the large wolf and cut him off. We faced the monster side by side as low growls ripped from our chests and we crouched to attack. Piercing, grinding snarls came from the beast as it drew up to its full height. Jeez it was huge! It didn't matter; that little girl needed protection. Only twenty-eight more seconds had passed.

The plan was simple. We would disappear from sight by splitting up and moving full vampire speed to the trees. Then, before the wolf could realize our intent, we would launch at the sides of its body. The only things we needed to make this work were silence and timing. We had to launch at the exact same moment, but without sound. The wolf would be at our mercy.

"_Now!" _Scott's voice screamed into my brain.

We flashed to the trees on each side. My motion had only halted for a quarter of a second before Scott sounded off again. _"Go!" _ I sprang with all my strength. Scott did the same. My sharp eyes could see him coming towards me. The target, still unaware of our attack, was between us. My vampire mind easily analyzed the angle and speed of our paths. Our timing was off. Scott was ahead of me. How could we have messed up such a simple thing?

Without warning, Scott let out a growl. The wolf turned toward the sound and prepared to meet the one who made it. I knew immediately that he did both—launching first and then growling—on purpose. He was offering himself as a distraction. A large paw swiftly pinned my husband to the ground. With the wolf's head turned he would never see me coming. Just a moment longer was all I needed…

"NO!" Edward's roar rang in my ears while I was still in the air.

Good grief! Would nothing go right?

Hearing Edward, the wolf turned from my husband and looked straight ahead at Edward. Only then did his peripheral vision allow him to see me coming. Surprise was no longer on my side. He was ready for me. Just as I was about to collide feet-first into his side, his massive head hit me square in the chest. A sharp crack ripped through me as the force sent me flying backward into a large tree. I saw Scott wrap his hands around the paw that held him and twist. The snap of bone, and the yelp that followed, had me smiling as I crashed into the tree that shuddered under my impact and fell over.

I jumped to my feet just in time to see the wolf sink his teeth into my husband's shoulder. Scott's scream ignited my rage. Sure my chest hurt, but I didn't give it more than a passing thought. Coiling my muscles to spring at the wolf again, I could see Edward. He was coming fast, but I was still closer.

"No, Edward! Get Renesmee away!" I screamed while launching myself toward the wolf again. Before I could strike, something hit me hard, knocking me to the ground. Edward! Edward was pinning me down.

"What are you doing?" I screeched. "Stop that wolf! It's going to kill Renesmee! Get off me! Go help Scott protect her!"

The wolf let out a howl of pain, and then Scott screamed again. Instantly, my desire to help my mate took over everything. My legs curled up and pushed hard against Edward's chest. He sailed away from me as I jumped to my feet. Locking my eyes on the mongrel, I launched into the air again. My only thought was to tear the wolf to pieces. My feet made contact with the earth. They propelled me for three strides before I was knocked down again. This time it was Emmett _and_ Edward. They each locked down on a wrist and ankle, pinning me down. They were keeping me from helping my mate! White-hot fury exploded within me. Growls poured out of my chest as words were no longer enough to give full expression of my fury.

I couldn't tell how long I was like that, out of my mind, my feral instinct ruling me. Eventually words came back to me and they begin to replace most of my growls. "Scott needs help! Protect Renesmee!"

Edward and Emmett continued to hold me, but it was a struggle for them. They waited, restraining me, until Edward could see my reason returning. "Diane!" he roared. "Stop fighting! The wolf is a friend; he wasn't going to hurt her!"

It took six seconds for those words to fully register in my brain and for me to become vampire stone still. "A friend?" I asked timidly.

"Yes," Emmett panted, "pull yourself together, girlie."

I was suddenly amused that holding me down caused them such effort. I filed that away in my head for later thought.

"Please, let me up," I pleaded. "I didn't know. Where's Scott? Where's Renesmee?"

"Renesmee is with Bella. She's fine," Edward said with exasperation. He studied my face before nodding to Emmett. As soon as they let me go, I was on my feet, scanning for my husband.

Scott lay on the ground, not far from where I last saw him, still and groaning. Carlisle was by his side. Flitting to him, I kneeled down.

"Scott!" I wanted to touch him but wasn't sure if I should. My head jerked to Carlisle with a score of questions on my lips.

He held up the hand. _UGH!_ I wasn't going for that. I opened my mouth anyway.

"Diane…" Carlisle used a warning tone that made me close it again. He had my full, closed-mouthed attention. "The wolf has wounded him badly. He will need a day or two to heal, but he _will_ be all right. We are going to move him to your room shortly. No more questions until we get there, understand?"

I nodded with controlled irritation.

Carlisle looked at Emmett. "We are going to need the blood of at least two bears or three mountain lions. Take Jasper with you and hurry. His eyes are black with thirst."

Emmett nodded and ran into the forest with Jasper right behind him.

"We were going to hunt this afternoon," I pushed out.

"Go ahead to your room." Carlisle instructed. With a sigh, I obeyed.

As soon as I got to our room I stripped the blankets from the bed. Then…I didn't know what else to do but wait. Those four minutes and nine seconds took forever. Carlisle and Edward carried my husband in and laid him on our bed. Only then did I get a full view of his wounds. I froze as my eyes took in the horror. There were several large holes in his shoulder where the wolf bit into him. Some of these holes had deep fissures leading from them that traveled down his arm.

Like the flick of a switch, my brain jumped into auto pilot as my instincts overrode my thinking for the second time that day.

My first thought: _Scott is being cared for now and is safe._

My next thought: _The wolf that did this to my man will die._

In a flash, without even knowing how I got there, I was out of the door and had caught the scent of the wolf. The earth was flying under my feet as I ran. He would suffer my wrath as I tore him apart with my own hands for daring to inflict such injury on my mate. I'd bathe in his blood. Just before I reached the trees, I felt myself being snagged, right out of mid-flight, and pounded to the ground.

Edward! Edward had stopped me. What was wrong with him today?

"LET ME GO!" I snarled. "THAT WOLF HAS TO DIE!"

He shocked me out of my rage simply because his voice was so calm. "Diane, listen to me. I know you are angry and you want vengeance, but Scott needs you now." His voice was stern but not angry. "_Scott_ needs you. Do you hear?"

Grudgingly, I admitted to myself that he was right. I nodded and he helped me to my feet.

Edward placed his hands on my shoulders. "Go back to him." His hands hovered behind me as I turned to go back into the house and to Scott. He stayed with me until I reached the bedroom. After the way I lost it earlier, I really couldn't blame him for being so cautious.

Scott was awake and his eyes were searching. When they found me, he sighed. "Diane," he whispered. "Thank God."

"I'm here, honey."

"Are you hurt?"

Seriously? He was injured, not able to get up, and he was asking if I'm okay? Silly, overprotective vampire!

"Yes, I'm okay. You need to be still." Not wanting to embarrass him I added silently, "_Yeah, we're going to talk about your plan later."_

"Renesmee?" he asked.

"She is unhurt. Just a bit shaken," Edward assured him.

Carlisle's hand stopped the questions. "He needs to rest. Diane, Emmett and Jasper will be bringing the blood by as soon as it's ready. Make sure he drinks as much as possible. Serious wounds like this exacerbate our thirst. I will be back in a few hours. He needs complete rest and must stay still."

"I will not leave his side," I promised.

Two hours later, Emmett and Jasper were at our door carrying four five-gallon jugs. The smell wafting from them made my mouth water. Mmmm…Mountain lion and bear. I needed to hunt very soon.

"Thanks, guys," I whispered as they set them down on the kitchen counter. Funny, we _were_ using the kitchen for food after all.

"Carlisle told us not to stay," Jasper murmured. "Let us know if you need anything. I mean it. He's a bit worked up right now, but he'll be calmer without us here." I assured them I would call if I needed help. They walked out and closed the door behind them.

Heading out of the kitchen with the first jug, I grabbed a glass. I wasn't sure how much he would want, so I figured I would be prepared. After all, I had over two decades of experience doctoring my human husband. I'd only been a vampire wife for just over three months. Nervously, I stepped inside the doorway. Since Carlisle had left, my husband had gotten a bit…grumpy. The smell of the blood only made his thirst worse.

"Thirsty, honey?" I asked timidly.

Scott growled loudly.

"Easy there. I'm coming. Relax."

The snarling I didn't take personally. However, I did take it as a cue to forget the glass.

Walking at a slow measured pace to reassure him, I made my way to the bed. I carefully lowered the mouth of the jug to his lips. As soon as the jug came within his reach his hands shot out and grabbed it, locking my hands to the jug in the process. It hurt, but I didn't cry out for fear of startling him. I needed all of my strength to get the opening to his mouth. He was trying to bite through the side of the jug. What a mess that would be. As he drank he became a bit calmer. When the first jug was empty he shoved it, and me with it, away.

"More!" he snarled, a bit softer.

"I'll get you more, but stay still," I ordered. Not waiting for his answer, I flashed to the kitchen. Walking back with the same slowness as before, I returned with the second jug. When he reached for it my arms were kept safely out of his way. He drained that one also, but not as quickly.

His voice was still rough. "Can I have a bit more, please?" No snarl.

He drank only half of the third one.

"Thank you." His voice was back to normal. Satisfied, he settled back into the bed.

"Feeling better?" I asked softly

"Much." He smiled a little.

As I looked at his injuries, I could see that they were starting to heal. Not wanting to jostle him by getting onto the bed, I pulled a chair from the corner of the room to the bedside and sat. After all that had happened, I welcomed the peace that followed.

"Sweetheart?" Scott asked quietly.

"Shhhh," I hissed. "Carlisle said complete rest."

"One question." It was not a request.

"What is it?"

"Umm…did I… _growl_ at you?" He was embarrassed! How cute.

"It was nothing, sweetie. Completely understandable. I would've done the same thing, I'm sure."

"Forgive me?"

"Already done." I kissed his forehead then added sternly. "No more talking until Carlisle comes back."

"Yes ma'am." he closed his eyes.

Sitting there, I replayed the recent events in my mind. A few things didn't make sense—I needed some answers. Then there was my meltdown to consider. I silently berated myself for my complete loss of control. Shame poured over me as I thought of how disappointed Scott would be in me once he found out. Perhaps Carlisle would finally reach his limit and would ask us to leave. The questions and dread flooded my mind. Finally, I pushed them away, telling myself Scott's healing must come first.

Carlisle returned as promised. Seeing my black eyes, he picked up his phone and informed Emmett that I needed to hunt immediately. My protests to stay were ignored as Carlisle promised to stay until I returned. Ninety-two minutes later, my orange-red eyes passed Carlisle's inspection and he led me back to our room.

Even though Scott's injuries were no longer visible, Carlisle told Scott to stay in bed until first light. He said he would be back then. Without any more conversation than that, he left. I told myself that Carlisle must be very disappointed with my tantrum. My chest tightened at the thought. I would have to explain myself to him eventually. Picturing the look of disappointment that I knew I would see in his face made me cringe.

Slowly the light of day began to fade.

Later that night, Scott pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. "Diane, I was so scared that I had lost you."

"Shhhh", I hushed him. "I'm right here. Just rest tonight. Doctor's orders, you know. We'll talk tomorrow." I scoffed. "Setting yourself up as bait! Just look what happened."

I rose for a moment just to flit over to the sound system and put in a disc of calming music. Scott wouldn't let me go back to the chair, insisting that I lay next to him. The night passed with us laying flat on our backs, for Scott's sake, holding hands and listening to the music. Just after sunrise there was a quiet knock on the door.

When I opened it, a smiling Carlisle greeted me. "Good morning. How is he feeling?"

Scott was on his feet when we entered, slowly moving his arm. "I feel completely better. The speed of our healing is amazing."

Carlisle smiled. "Excellent. Be sure to hunt tomorrow, all right?" Scott nodded.

Carlisle's face turned serious. "Would you both please come over to the main house this morning? After you've had time to shower and dress, of course. We are going to have a family meeting."

"We will be there in thirty minutes," Scott answered.

"Very good," Carlisle replied. "See you then."

A lump rose in my throat. This was not going to be good.

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

07.14.12

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Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin**, **SqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Super-Massive-Black-Hole thanks to EvilPumpkin and SqueakyZorro who have accepted the precarious position as my permanent betas for NWB. You have saved this chapter from tons of missing/misplaced commas and few flow problems. SZ has assured me that my readers will think I am evil when they read the end of this chapter. No, I am not evil. Commas are evil—and I hate them.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

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Reviews make me happy. Please leave one for little ole me?

~MA


	9. The Meeting

9

The Meeting

If I'd still had a pulse, my heart would've been pounding hard as we left the guest house. Fearing condemnation, I squeezed Scott's hand nervously. The Cullens were surely furious about our attack. Scott had broken the wolf's leg in two places before making the move to bite him. It was nothing short of a miracle that Jasper had stopped him in time. Not only would it have meant death for the dog, it would have meant war for us all.

The loveliness of the morning was lost on me. The clear sky, the symphony of birdsong, the sparkling river—I found no joy in their beauty. My complete loss of control had not been mentioned yet. I was dreading that. I clung to the one bit of peace in the whole mess–at least Scott had forgiven me.

After he was healed, I really didn't have a reason to keep it from him any longer although I wanted to. I poured out the whole story. Shame kept my eyes glued to the floor as I confessed all of my mistakes while he listened silently. I told him how I had launched Edward off me—I wasn't sure if I had injured him or not—and that it had taken both Edward and Emmett to restrain me. Admitting I had let my emotions take over so completely that I didn't even remember everything was the hardest part. It felt good to let it all out. When I finally fell silent, he simply took me into his strong arms, told me he understood, and whispered his forgiveness. I didn't deserve him.

We both had the same question burning in our minds: Would the Cullens side with us or the Quileutes?We knew that the wolf's injuries had healed as quickly as Scott's had. Still, _we_ had attacked _him_. Hopefully they would understand why…

When we entered the house, we found the entire family assembled.

"_Here we go," _Scott thought to me. _"Well, whatever happens, we're together."_

"_Absolutely,"_ I silently replied.

Scanning their faces, I was surprised that none of them seemed angry. This didn't ease the nervousness that shot through me when Carlisle asked everyone to sit. After placing a soft kiss on her sleeping daughter's head, Bella rose from the sofa and joined us. Everyone was silent. Maybe it was just me, but I sensed a current of expectation buzzing through the room.

Carlisle cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him. "I think it is important that we all discuss what happened yesterday. Scott, Diane, the way you attacked—swift and coordinated—was unsettling, especially considering that you had never fought one of them before. If I didn't know better, I would think you had Jasper's experience. Had we not stopped you—"

My mouth opened to offer my apology, but I didn't even get one word out before Carlisle raised his hand. Ugh, the hand _again_. I bit my lip.

Carlisle grimaced and continued. "You would understand things better if we started with Jacob. The wolf, actually the _werewolf_, is Jacob."

We had been told about the treaty and the pack. Why hadn't we thought of that yesterday? Werewolves! To hear about them was one thing, but to see one—to fight one—was another. Yet another "myth" had proven to be real…

Scott laughed at my expression and thought to me. "_Hon, we're vampires, should we really be surprised? Besides, they did tell us." _

I stifled a giggle. _"No, I guess not. Perhaps we'll meet Santa Claus soon."_

A soft laugh came from Edward. I pretended not to notice.

"_Scott, this could be very bad. If he's their friend…"_

"_Relax, hon, it's clear they're willing to hear us out."_

Carlisle continued, "We never told you about Jacob's…interest in our family. Our relationship with the pack is looked down upon by most covens so we try to keep Jacob's involvement as quiet as possible. While Jacob is not part of our family, he is…"

"Irritating," Rosalie spat out.

"A pain," Emmett added.

"Not to mention the smell," Jasper said dryly.

Edward chuckled.

Bella nudged her husband with her elbow yet smiled.

"Enough." Carlisle sighed. His smirk betrayed the fact that he shared in the humor. "Jacob has helped our family in the past. Some courtesy, please." His eyes flitted from face to face in mock rebuke. "Jacob looks at himself as a protector, of sorts, where Renesmee is concerned."

Edward clenched his fists on the table and let out a groan.

Carlisle ran his hands along the table. "Jacob has imprinted on Renesmee. It is much like vampires finding a mate."

"Can we _please_ not use the word 'mate' and my daughter in the same sentence?" Edward pleaded.

Bella attempted to explain. "When she is older they will probably get married."

Apparently Edward did not like the idea. "I _really_ do not wish to discuss this right now."

"Needless to say, our daughter is very important to Jacob," Bella added as she rubbed her husband's back.

"Did Jacob think we were trying to _harm_ her?" Scott's voice made it clear he was offended that anyone could think us capable of such a thing. _Someone_ _needs to teach Jacob a thing or two. I'm up for the challenge._

"Get in line," Edward growled. It seemed the mongrel had a permanent spot on his future father-in-law's bad side. A dark look cut off that line of thought.

Carlisle leveled his gaze at us. "What Jacob thinks is not important right now. We all want to hear from you. Why did you attack?"

Scott looked at everyone in turn as he spoke in an unapologetic tone. "When we came out of the guest house, we noticed Renesmee immediately. She seemed to be alone. We couldn't see or smell any of you. The only other scent nearby screamed danger. Then the wolf came into view. Once he saw us, he growled and started to actually run toward her."

His words came faster now as he relived it all. "There was no time to ask for help. We were focused on saving her. We didn't know who or what he was. From the look of things, she needed protection. I decided that he was too big for me to take on alone, or I would have sent Diane to take Renesmee back to the house. So we went after him together." He unclenched his hands and placed them flat on the table. "The rest you know."

My eyes turned to Edward when he drew in a sharp breath. His voice broke as he asked, "You both fought him, a horse-sized wolf, without a thought for your safety—because you thought you were protecting my daughter?"

We both nodded, not knowing what to expect.

"Thank you," Edward rasped with emotion. "Those words are so inadequate. Thank you from the depths of my heart. Truly, I am forever in your debt."

"Yes," Bella added, "we can't thank you enough."

Jasper smirked. "Might I add, your strategy was most impressive."

I scowled at that. My husband's insanity did _not_ need to be encouraged. "Not when you figure he set himself up as bait so I could strike first." My eyes shifted to my husband. "Of all the crazy things to do. You could have been killed."

Edward was incredulous. "Was that really your intent?"

Scott grasped my hand. "I was not about to risk my wife getting hurt any more than completely necessary. By drawing attention to myself, I made sure he came for me first. It gave her the time to attack."

The memory made me shudder. "Never again, Scott," I warned.

He nudged me. "You know better. I'd do it again if the situation called for it."

Jasper tilted his head. "Scott, you and I need to talk later."

Edward extended his hand across the table to my husband. "You once told me that you would earn my trust. You just have." After they shook hands, he reached for me. "Both of you."

I smiled as he shook mine. Perhaps we could be friends with the _entire_ family after all.

Carlisle rose from his chair. "Given these events were as we hoped, I think it is time to act upon what we discussed earlier?" He looked around the table as everyone gave various motions of approval with smiles on their faces.

"Excellent." Carlisle smiled. "In that ca—"

Tossing her hands into the air, Alice huffed. "Everyone just disappeared!"

Edward shot out of his chair. "That dog!" he growled. "Of all the hotheaded, childish—" He was half way to the front door when he called out, "Jasper, Emmett, I'm going to need you."

"Edward, what's wrong? I can't see anything!" Alice wailed. "Humph!"

Carlisle stood and raised his hands. "Let's give Edward a chance to work this out. Everyone else stay here, please."

Somehow I knew that this was directed more at Scott and me than anyone else. Since we were all vampires, the distance would not prevent us from hearing a conversation at a normal speaking volume. The shouting made it even easier.

"All right, I'm sick of waiting! I wanna know right now! What the hell is going on?" I couldn't place the voice that was full of rage. "Who are those two? I have a _right_ to know."

Glancing around the table, I could see everyone had tensed.

"Calm down, Jacob," Edward warned. Jacob was out there? Oh, this was not good.

Jacob responded with a growl. Jasper and Emmett echoed growls of their own.

"Don't you tell me to calm down, blood- err... Edward! They attacked me! Right in front of Nessie! What if they'd hurt her?" Jacob insisted.

"Jacob, just listen for a moment." Edward's voice was tight.

"Don't you care about her safety?"

"Oh no," Bella moaned to the ceiling. "Jake, please don't push him."

Edward was shouting now. "You forget who you are speaking to, dog! As her _father,_ her safety is _my_ responsibility!"

"Then maybe you need to do a better jo —" Jacob's voice choked off into a gurgle. Bella shot a pleading glance at Carlisle. He sighed and headed to the door, and we followed.

A loud crack rang out. When I reached the porch, an awful stench hit me, causing my nose wrinkle in disgust.

"Tell me about it," Rosalie sneered. "Better get used to it. Wet dog stench, lovely, isn't it?"

Emmett and Jasper stood at the bottom of the steps, blocking entrance to the house. The rest of us formed a line across the porch as Bella flew over the railing to Edward.

One of the large cedars that shaded the front lawn had a huge dent in it. Sitting in front of it was—I deduced—Jacob. He had his hands up as Edward crouched over him only inches from his face. The only thing that made it funny was that Jacob was obviously larger than Edward. Instinctively this told me that Edward ranked above him somehow.

"How dare you question my judgment in regards to _my daughter!_" Edward roared.

"Edward," Bella pleaded softly. She placed her hand on her husband's back.

Edward looked at her over his shoulder. Seeing his wife, his face and voice instantly softened. Bella, if you think for one moment that I am going to tolerate—"

Bella shook her head.

"Thanks, Bells," Jacob began.

Bella silenced him with a glare. "You pushed his buttons on purpose, Jake, not cool."

Keeping her eyes on Jacob, Bella spoke to Edward. "You shouldn't tolerate it, Edward. It's a father's _right_ to decide these things." Jacob looked down as she continued. "But this won't solve anything." She shifted her gaze to Edward with a sly smile. "You know how Esme loves these trees. We need to be careful with them."

Edward let out a laugh. "Oh, Bella, what would I do without you?" He caught her in a long embrace that relaxed the tension in the air.

Jacob stood up and dusted off his shorts. "Yeah, yeah, she's great. Now can we please talk about what happened?" His eyes swept the porch and landed on Scott and me. "You!"

As Jacob lunged forward, Emmett and Jasper countered his movement and caught him before he could cover half of the distance to us. Edward flashed around them all and stood directly in front of the werewolf. Carlisle, Alice, and Rosalie formed a line in the space Emmett and Jasper had left. They had placed themselves in defensive layers between Jacob and us. Obviously, this family had some fighting experience.

Scott pulled me behind him. I knew it was an instinctive move, but it irritated me. I was no longer a fragile little human. Yesterday he deemed me strong enough to fight the wolf. What was different today? Stepping back to his side, I ignored his glare.

"_We will discuss this later," _he thought to me. I ignored that, too.

Edward put his hand on Jacob's shoulder. "I will explain everything if you would just _listen_."

Jacob squared his shoulders and crossed his arms over his massive chest. He had a smug look on his face as if Edward _owed_ him an explanation, and it angered me. Suddenly, I regretted not getting a piece of him when I had the chance. Recognizing my newborn temper, I fought to push it away.

"They thought they were protecting her, from you," Edward said gruffly.

"Protecting Nessie…from me?" Jacob was clearly offended but I didn't care. "Why would they think I would hurt her? That's crazy!"

"They don't know you. All they saw was that she was alone, and a huge wolf was running towards her. You are being absurd, Jacob. If you would just think about it for a minute, you would see their point of view." Edward's irritation was mounting again. "They fought you to protect her. Surely you, all things considered, can respect that."

Jacob relaxed a bit. "Sure, sure. I guess I can see it now." His eyes turned to us again and he studied us. "Wait a minute. Why do they have red eyes? Are they human drinkers?"

Edward scoffed. "No, of course not."

You could see the wheels turning in his head. "Very bright red eyes. Their eyes look just like Bella's did when she first…" You could almost hear the 'click' in his brain when his voice trailed off. He was instantly angry again. "You didn't! How could you? Bella was supposed to be the last!"

Carlisle put up his hands in a calming gesture. "Jacob, we have already talked to Sam."

"Sam's not the only Alpha!" Jacob argued.

Edward growled at the disrespect shown to his father. Carlisle pretended not to notice the insult. "We didn't speak to you because you were away with Renesmee and the rest of the family—as you _insisted_. Sam has agreed to meet with us and talk things over. Surely with all of the history between our family and your tribe, we can come to some kind of understanding."

"I just don't know, Carlisle." Jacob ran his fingers over his short hair. "You're asking too much. I need to talk this over with Sam. He can't speak for my pack, and I won't speak for his."

"Of course," Carlisle replied smoothly. "Please let us know when you and Sam want to meet. I know it will be uncomfortable, but it would be best if we meet here. Being newborns, it would be better if they stayed close to home."

"I don't like it and neither will Sam." Jacob turned to go then stopped short. "What are these two to you anyway? How long will they be around?"

"That's what we were discussing when you crashed the party," Emmett answered. "So why don't you run along, little doggie, so we can get back to it?"

Jacob turned without a word. Everyone was making their way back inside the house as Scott and I watched Jacob leave.

I glanced at Scott. "That's a werewolf?"

He shrugged. "Supposedly. Hard to believe, huh?"

Edward stepped back out. "Jacob? Could you come back for another minute, please?"

Jacob jogged back, not hiding his annoyance.

Edward motioned towards us. "This is Scott and Diane." We nodded to Jacob, but he did not return the gesture. Edward's smile turned sly. "Jacob, they were just wondering how you become a wolf. I wonder, would you like to phase for them?"

Jacob flashed a cocky grin. "Sure, it's good to learn some healthy respect for who we are."

His body started to ripple along his arms, legs and back. In a mere moment, he exploded into the giant russet-brown wolf we fought yesterday. While impressive to see, it brought back memories of our brief battle. Somehow, we both suppressed our growls. The wolf let out a grumbling sound and Edward burst out laughing when the wolf snorted and ran off.

"What's so funny?" I asked

Edward needed a moment but eventually stopped shaking with laughter. "Jacob was in such a hurry to phase and intimidate you that he destroyed his shorts, just as I knew he would. Needless to say, he's a bit upset." Inside the house, everyone else started laughing. Edward chuckled again. "Serves him right." He walked back to the door and motioned for us to follow.

"Can we have a few minutes?" Scott cut his eyes to me. "I need to speak to my wife."

"Certainly," Edward murmured before entering the house.

Scott turned to me with a scowl. "What's your problem with me wanting to protect you?"

"What's _your_ problem with me not needing so much protection?" I shot back.

"I get that you're a vampire now but you're still my wife."

"This is not the time or place to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Because everyone can hear us! Can we please talk about this later?"

Scott closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He always did when trying to control his temper, while telling me just how hard it was for him to do so. Some things just don't change when you become a vampire. I waited. After seven seconds his eyes snapped open. "We _will_ talk about this later." I nodded once and followed him into the house. _Can't wait._

Everyone was back at the table so we took our seats.

Carlisle gave his attention-getting cough, and all eyes turned to him. "Scott, Diane, after considering all that Diane said yesterday, we figured that you had acted out of fear for Renesmee. Still, we had to hear your side of things to be sure. In addition, Edward can tell that your thoughts match your words, and therefore, we know for certain that you are being honest in what you say. Your actions yesterday, and since the day I met you, have proven that you are of good character, and more importantly, that you want to do good in this life.

"Therefore we—and by that I mean each one of us sitting here—would like to ask you to join our family. You have been with us long enough to see how we live and how decisions are made within the family. If you can agree to live as we do, then you are welcome to join us."

Joy exploded in my chest. If I could have cried, tears of happiness would have fallen right then. Scott and I looked at each other. Seeing my smile was all that Scott needed to know how I felt.

"Thank you," he whispered. "We are touched by your kindness and generosity. We would be honored to join you."

We had lost our human family. While it was true that our children lived, they were lost to us. I had been sure we would never have another family again. Yet here was a strong, loving family taking us and making us their own. More than simply being thrown together due to circumstances, they were choosing us. They _wanted_ us.

Emotion made it hard to speak. "Thank you for giving us a new family," I choked out.

Scott stood up and grasped Carlisle's hand. "I hope we never give you a reason to regret your choice."

Carlisle shook his hand for a moment and then embraced him warmly. "Welcome to the family, my son. I know calling you son may seem strange to you, considering my physical age. But it really is how I feel." After releasing him, Carlisle wrapped his arms around me. "Welcome, my daughter." By this time everyone was standing. Each member of our new family welcomed us with a warm embrace.

And just like that, we were in.

The thought startled me. Could we really just flick some kind of internal switch and truly count these vampires as _family_? Strangely, I found as I mulled it over, the answer was yes. I really could.

To be completely truthful, I would have to admit I'd been hoping for what had just happened. I had grown to love them all. Okay—not all—there _was_ Edward to consider.

Edward…he had been harsh with us since the beginning—excessively so in my book. Scott had told me several times that he understood Edward's position: we were strangers, and Edward was worried about his daughter. I understood that. Still, my feelings had been hurt by him on more than one occasion. _Hmm…not Scott's feelings—just mine. _

So it wasn't _our_ problem. It was _my_ problem.

Could I be a Cullen and maintain a distance from Edward? _Not going to work. _No, if I was going to be a Cullen, I would have to find a way to get over my hurt feelings.

A hand touched my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. _When did I sit on the sofa?_ I looked up to find Edward wearing a look of concern. "I'd like to speak with you. Would you accompany me on a walk?"

Then it dawned on me.

_Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't think about your gift before I let my mind wander like that._

"Please, don't apologize." He looked over to the TV area. "Scott, would you mind if Diane went to the river with me?"

Scott didn't even take his eyes off the TV. "No need to ask me, she's a big girl."

"_Diane, give him a chance."_

Lowering my eyes to the floor, I tried to find the words to politely refuse. My quota of arguments had been reached for the month, thank you. I had absolutely no desire to have another one.

Edward squatted, making his eyes level with mine. "Yeah, give me a chance." When I actually looked at those eyes, I found they twinkled in amusement.

"Well, if you're going to gang up on me, I guess I'm going." I don't think my attempt at showing irritation fooled them. The fact that Edward wanted to talk to me, and was not upset, piqued my interest in what he had to say.

A quick round of goodbyes and a short run later found us at the river's edge. A few awkward moments passed…

"Diane," Edward rasped.

The distraught tone of his voice caused me to turn to him. The look on his face was a cross between sorrow and frustration.

"I'm sure you feel that I owe you an apology. However, since I really can't be sorry for my actions, I hope you'll settle for an explanation." I remained silent when he paused and he continued. When Carlisle told me to bring you and Scott home, I was furious."

"I remember. While we were in the van, I heard you talking to Emmett about it."

Edward closed his eyes briefly. "I thought so." He stared across the river and ran his hand through his hair. "The position I'm in now as a husband and father—these titles are new to me. I'd waited so long to find Bella, and Renesmee…she's nothing short of a miraculous gift. They're both treasures that I don't deserve and I will do everything in my power to protect them. I know I've been incredibly hard on you and Scott."

Suddenly, he spun around and placed his hands on my shoulders. The unexpected touch sparked a growl in my chest that I was able to stop—barely. "I had no way to _know_ if you would be a danger to them. Alice told me everything would be all right, but I just had to see it for myself before I could believe it. Then when Jacob—"

His distress was too much for me so I took a step back. "Edward, stop. I get it. Wife and child plus a pair of strangers turned newborn vampires equals one high-strung daddy."

Edward laughed. "Well put." His good mood lasted a mere moment, and then his face fell. "I was wrong when I assumed I had nothing to apologize for. If I am to be completely honest with myself—and you—then I must admit that there were times when I _was_ overly harsh with you. It only made your struggle to maintain your self-control harder than necessary. I am truly sorry for that."

I gazed up at the moon. "Apology accepted. The question is: where do we go from here?"

"You're my sister now."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

"What about Renesmee?"

"She's your niece and I trust you implicitly with her. How could I not? You've already proven that you would protect her with your life."

I tilted my head and studied him. "You sure about all this?"

He extended his elbow toward me. "May I escort you home, sister?"

The final piece of some kind of internal puzzle slipped into place–I was _really _a Cullen.

I rolled my eyes at his gesture but my smile betrayed me. "I'd like that, brother."

Edward's responding grin grew wider as we ran home with complete peace between us, for the first time since we met. I had already shown that I would give my all to defend my family, and I knew he would do the same for me because that is what family does for each other.

We returned to find the rest of the family discussing higher education.

"Dartmouth was the original plan. I see no reason to change. That is, if everyone agrees," Jasper offered.

Emmett nudged him. "Still dreaming of taking those courses from the Civil War expert that teaches there?"

Jasper scoffed. "Expert. I doubt the man deserves the title. I look forward to hearing his _theories,_ is all."

"We'll have to wait until Scott and Diane are ready," Esme added. "We will also have to rearrange our cover story."

Carlisle chuckled. "You know, Scott, since you look older than I do, we will have to tell people that you are my older brother."

I sighed. "Too bad we weren't fortunate enough to be frozen at a younger age."

"Oh, there's a good side to it, really." Alice glided next to me. "You won't have to repeat high school and college over and over again." Her tinkling laugh was infectious. "You can choose and job. Oh! I know! You can start your own fashion house, and I could be your young apprentice."

"A job? Yes, that _is_ a good thing. Being a perpetual student sounds tedious." I nudged her. Perhaps I can forge a teaching credential and end up being your teacher in high school. That could be fun."

"Do you already have a degree to qualify for a credential?" Carlisle smiled slyly.

"No," I admitted.

Work had taken priority over college after I finished high school. Soon after, Scott and I were married. I had always joked that I would be a little old lady when I made it back to college. I would never be a little old lady now.

"Well then," Carlisle mused. "It looks like you two will be spending some time in college after all." I wanted to protest when he added. "While it's true we have to forge some documents, we do not create false achievements for ourselves. If you would like to teach, you will have to earn the degree to do so." His tone let me know it was not up for discussion.

I shrugged. "That's probably a good idea. I think I'll have to get a few degrees to catch up with everyone around here, won't I?" I squeezed Scott's hand. "I think that goes for you, too."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Oh fun. I never really liked school, but I guess I can try if you can."

"Excellent." Carlisle beamed. "Once we get all of your new documents in order, we can get you enrolled. Jasper can help you with that."

"Documents?" Scott asked.

"Drivers licenses, passports, changes to your new accounts." Jasper explained. "You realize you will have to change your name? You can pick any one you'd like. By joining us, we had hoped you would take ours."

Scott hesitated, and I understood why. Changing our last name felt like the final goodbye to our old life. There really was no way to keep our human one. My husband's face flickered with sadness then quickly smoothed with his decision. "Of course, it would be an honor."

Edward clapped Scott on the back. "Bella will get in touch with our friend who handles these things. Mr. Jenks is very good at what he does. It will be no trouble at all."

Bella shot a knowing look at Jasper. "That's right. Dealing with Jenks is _my_ job now."

The sun had set as we made plans for the next semester. Edward took a great interest in us going to college. While Edward went over to the computer desk, Bella told me that her husband set a great value on education and was eager for us to take full advantage of our new status as members of the Cullen family. Edward advised that, being newborns, it would be best if we used an online college for the next two semesters. When I expressed concern at never having been to college, Edward put my fears at ease by reminding me of my new thought capacity. He assured me that I would do well at any subjects I chose. We were looking at a course list when Edward looked to the door.

"Jacob's back," he explained. "He's in a better mood, thankfully." Edward strolled to the door at a human pace and reached it just after Jacob knocked. "Minding our manners, are we?" he crooned.

"Sure, sure," Jacob replied. He stepped to the middle of the room and looked around. Where's Nessie? She asleep yet?"

"Yes, she is," Edward answered. Seeing Jacob's crestfallen expression, he added. "Why don't you go to the cottage and check on her and Bella for a bit and then come back in the morning?"

"Thanks!" Jacob beamed. That little girl sure did have that werewolf wrapped around her finger. Knowing he would be in a world of trouble the minute she realized it pushed a dark chuckle from me.

Carlisle joined them. "Did you speak to Sam?"

Jacob crossed his arms over his bare chest. _Didn't the guy own a shirt?_ "He said tomorrow would be fine. Rather than meet here, he would like to meet in the clearing where we watched you train. It's neutral territory, but away from any humans."

Carlisle tapped his chin in thought before answering. "Yes, that will work. Can we meet at sunrise?"

"That's fine with us. Sam wants to know how many are coming from your side. We will bring the same number as you do." Treaty or not, there were definitely trust issues. I could relate.

"Myself, Edward, Scott, Diane, Emmett, and Rosalie." He glanced around. "Does everyone agree?" Murmurs of assent gave the answer he needed. I quickly noted that left Jasper, Alice, Esme, and Bella at home with Renesmee. Not that there was any reason to expect the wolves to bother them. Still, it was better to have more than one at home. "There you have it, Jacob. There will be six of us."

"OK. For us it will be Sam and me plus two from each pack. See you then." Jacob jogged out the back door and toward the cottage. It didn't escape my notice that Jacob didn't look at me or Scott—not once.

After Jacob left I grew uneasy at the thought of meeting more of the wolves. Thanks to their pack telepathy, they would all have a first-hand view of our attack. "Carlisle, should we be worried about this? Aren't we putting you in danger?"

"Ugh!" Alice stomped her foot in frustration. "I can't see! I can't see anything when those dogs are involved!" I barely held in my laughter at seeing her actually stomp her foot like a grumpy toddler.

"That is why you are staying here, Alice." Carlisle patted her shoulder. "I know how it frustrates you to be blind." Then he turned to me. "I do not think we will be in danger. Remember, you are family now—there is no more _you and us_." The look on his face told me he really meant it.

I smiled at that. "I'll remember, thank you again."

"You should both hunt tonight if we are to meet them at sunrise. Sam will want to test your knowledge of the treaty." Seeing my worried look to Scott, he reassured us. "You know all you need to. Hunting will simply make self-control easier."

Scott came and took my hand. "I'd like to go now. How about you?"

"Sure." I shrugged. "Who's going to chaperone our date?" If I had to have a babysitter, at least I could be gracious about it.

Emmett bounded over. "I will. Wouldn't want to miss your first night hunt. More mountain lions will be out. Let's make it a party. Who else wants to come?"

"I think they will be fine with just one chaperone." Carlisle chuckled. "However if you don't mind your _little brother_ tagging along, I would like to hunt also."

"Anytime, little brother," Scott teased back.

Emmett couldn't stand to be left out of the fun. "Come on, Uncle Scott and Aunt Diane!"

No way was I going for that. "You are older than my grandparents, Emmett," I pouted. "Can't I be a sister, like Bella? The uncle and aunt thing is just a cover, right?"

"Race you to the river, sis!" Emmett boomed.

Scott stole a head start and beat us both to the water's edge. Determined to enjoy the hunt with my new family, I put the worry about the coming meeting out of my mind. Focusing on my thirst, I lifted my nose to catch the scent of any nearby prey…

After the hunt Jasper challenged Scott to a game of super-chess. They invited me to watch, but games of super-strategy had never been my cup of tea. I had other things on my mind.

Sitting on the sofa, I closed my eyes. I replayed the tune in my mind, but it wasn't helping. Sometimes having a mind reader around was handy because Edward sat down and played it for me. Once I began to hum with the music, it didn't take long for the images to come.

_I see her—she's watching me. I feel afraid. _

"_Don't be ridiculous! You're imagining things." _

_A locked door—I have to get in. _

"_I won't tell anyone. I promise."_

_Betrayal—the searing agony of betrayal._

_A music box made of dark wood. A rose carved into the lid. I lift the lid and hear…_

"Diane, did you hear what I said?" My eyes snapped open. Alice was next to me, bouncing with excitement.

"Sorry, Alice, I was lost in thought." It wasn't really a lie.

She looked down at her hands. "Oh, sorry to interrupt, but I just had a vision that should make you feel better. I can't see the meeting, of course; the wolves block me. But I did just see everyone coming back to the house after the meeting and everyone looks unharmed and fairly happy." She patted my knee. "See, everything will turn out fine. Thought you'd like to know."

"Thanks, Alice, that does make me feel better."

She flashed me a huge smile before leaving. "Jazz and I are going out." She gave me a wink. Not even a meeting with the wolves would interrupt their alone time. "See you later."

After watching her go I found Edward's eyes on me.

_The flashes—did you see, hear them?_

He nodded.

_I think they're human memories trying to resurface. They scare me, but it feels like I need to remember them. For some reason that piece of music triggers them. I don't want anyone to know yet. Will you help me?_

He nodded again and I let out a sigh, grateful for my brother who was willing to help and keep my secret—for now. I knew he wouldn't keep it much longer.

_Thanks Edward. No more tonight._

With another nod, Edward played a different piece and I closed my eyes and tried very hard to think of nothing at all.

.

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

07.14.12

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Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin**, **SqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

My betas totally saved this chapter. Lesson I learned this go round: Writing in the wee hours of the morning makes for some huge plot holes! If it weren't for SZ and EP I'd be in serious trouble. Thanks guys!

This chapter is dedicated to my faithful reviewer Costa. This is the chapter he's been waiting for. Enjoy and thanks for the lovely reviews you write after each chapter.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

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An outtake from chapter 11 of NWB has been donated to Fandom 4 Storms. So many have been affected April's tornados and the need is great. For any donation to an established charity (such as the Red Cross) you will receive a compilation of several fan fic outtakes, one-shots, and more. For full details check out the Fandom 4 Storms website: Donations


	10. Wolves

10

Wolves

The sun had just come over the horizon as we approached the meeting place. A light cloud cover kept our skin from sparkling, but it still had a faint shimmer. I looked up for a moment to appreciate the colors of the sky and drew in a cleansing breath before taking in the scene around me. Carlisle stood in the center of our line. Scott and I were on his left, Edward on his right, and Rosalie and Emmett split up to take the far ends. Even in what was supposed to be a peaceful meeting, battle tactics were never out of mind.

Sam and Jacob approached in human form, their breath made visible by the chill in the air. The wolves that flanked each of them stayed a few paces behind. Apparently, they were also thinking tactically. Even though we were even in numbers, I knew our family was at a disadvantage. Scott and I were not experienced fighters as vampires. Give my husband his M4 and it would have been a different story.

Both sides advanced slowly across the large, grassy field. As the lines drew closer, the tension in the air rose. Everyone came to a stop with a mere fourteen feet between us: such an easy distance for vampire or werewolf to cross. It would only take a moment. For seven seconds, we all stood there in silence—each side sizing up the other. It was usual for animals to avoid our kind. Before the silence was broken, even the birds had taken cover.

Carlisle stepped forward. "Thank you for giving us the opportunity to talk this over. I ask that you remember what our family and your tribe have been though together, and please hear us out before deciding on a course of action."

Despite my best efforts to not show my fear, a chill went down my spine. Carlisle had taught us about the treaty. By changing us, he had violated it. Our attack on Jacob had only made things worse. We all hoped they would listen at this point and not want to fight.

Sam crossed his arms. "We agreed to meet with you. That alone shows we are willing to hear you out." Extending his index finger, he swept it across our line. "_You_ broke the treaty. It's up to you to persuade us to overlook it."

_Such arrogance! Who do these guys think they are?_ I bit back a growl.

Carlisle tensed but kept his voice even. "What would you have done in my place?" Sam made no reply. "We told you about it as soon as we could. You have to realize we did so in good faith. We could have simply hidden our actions from you and disappeared. Jacob, did Sam tell you the reasons I had for changing them?"

Jacob shifted on his feet. Even though I didn't really like the guy, I felt sorry for him. Now knowing what I did about his imprinting on Renesmee, I realized this was awkward for him.

"Sam told me. They were in a car wreck and you stopped to help. You got their kids out of the car. They fell over a cliff and were both gonna die, so you changed them. That right?"

Yeah, I felt sorry for him, but the way he spoke to Carlisle made me angry. Someone should teach that dog some manners. I'd gladly volunteer for that job. Fighting a smile, Edward peered behind Carlisle and looked at me. _I mean it, too._

Carlisle beckoned us to him with a finger. Scott squeezed my hand as we stepped forward. "This is Scott and his wife Diane. We have agreed to let you speak to them in order to keep the peace. Before you do, you should know we now claim them as our family."

"You _what_?" Jacob clenched his fists and glared at Edward.

"Your imprinting gives you no say in our affairs, Jacob. This was a _family _decision." It wasn't lost on me that Edward stressed the word protectively, the same way he spoke it on the day of our awakening. This time, that word included us. "They _are_ Cullens now." There was a pause as Jacob asked a silent question. "Yes, they will be living with us. Again, that is family business."

Jacob responded with a growl.

"Jacob, please. We have no choice but to count them as members of the Cullen Clan." Sam leveled his gaze on us. "Still, I want to hear from them."

Scott squared his shoulders."What do you want to know?"

"Is it true that you were in a crash as your leader has told us?" How dare Sam question Carlisle's integrity!

"Yes," Scott replied calmly. "We'd both be dead and our children would be in a very bad situation if not for Carlisle and the rest of our new family."

Jacob scowled. "So, you're _really_ Cullens now? Are you gonna live just like they do?"

Thankfully, Scott refused to be intimidated. "I know what you're getting at, Jacob. Neither of us has killed a human since our change, and we plan on keeping it that way. The family asked us to join them, and we've accepted. So yes, we're Cullens now and proud to be."

My husband's careful wording did not slip by Sam. "You say you have not killed a human _since your change_. Does that mean you have killed before that?"

That broke my silence. Unfortunately for me, that meant I would finally have to breathe. The dog stench was overwhelming, but I managed not to gag.

"Our human lives are none of your business. Who are you to judge us?"

"_It's all right,"_ Scott thought to me and pulled me closer. "I was a Marine during my human life. Lives are lost in war, you know that. I did my duty and make no apologies for it. If it came down to defending my family, I wouldn't hesitate to take a life if I had to."

Sam and the rest of the pack had some fighting experience. Even I knew that much. So I wasn't surprised when Sam accepted his explanation without complaint.

"Do you understand the treaty?"

"We stay off your land, and we don't harm humans. We've been shown your borders and have no desire to cross them." Clear and concise, that's my military man.

This interrogation was ridiculous. I knew what happened last year, and so did everyone standing on the field. Our family had proven its honor. Yet these dogs, our natural enemies—who we chose not to fight—were questioning _us_? Why did Carlisle allow it? I could feel my irritation growing. Jacob wasn't helping matters—shifting from one foot to the other as if he wanted to pace, or worse. It was clear that he would not forgive us for attacking him anytime soon.

He suddenly lurched closer. "So what about your kids? You gonna turn them? How many more unknown vampires will be living with Nessie?"

An angry hiss shot out of me, and I stepped forward. Scott took hold of my wrist. I jerked away with another step. "There is no way in _hell_ we'd ever change them!" The very idea turned my stomach. "They still have their natural lives ahead of them." My voice started to break, so I took a long breath to regain control. "We want them to live without our interference."

Edward did not like the question either. "Jacob, you go too far. Their grief for their children is still fresh. We've tolerated your questioning in order to keep the peace between us. That doesn't give you the right to be cruel."

I had to try to get through to Jacob. Even though the wolf's actions angered me, he had to see that we were all on the same side, especially where a certain little girl was concerned. Besides, I wasn't above giving an apology where one was due. "Jacob, we never actually apologized for the other day. You do understand we thought we were protecting Renesmee, don't you?"

"Just because I understand it doesn't mean I have to like it." Jacob retorted loudly. Scott grabbed my wrist again and pulled me behind him. Rather than pull away again, I decided to focus on staying calm and rested my forehead between his shoulders. At that moment, I could have either broken down into a sobbing mess or ripped the dog's head from his body. Staying calm was the priority. We could talk about my husband's lack of faith in me later.

Sam turned to Jacob. "I've seen your memory of this, Jacob. While their attack angers me, they were clearly defending the girl—your imprint. I know you were injured, but you struck Diane and bit Scott twice, wounding him severely. Why is it that all three of you were injured, yet _you_ cannot let this go? As much as I hate to admit it, this needs to be forgotten."

"Fine, it's forgotten," Jacob grumbled.

Yeah, I _really_ believed that.

Carlisle put his hand on Scott's shoulder. "Sam, Jacob, you already know why I turned Scott and Diane. Now you can see the character of our new family members. I believe they will respect the treaty. Surely you can see there is no need for any tension between us."

I peeked over Scott's shoulder and waited for his answer.

Sam nodded. "I agree."

"Fine," Jacob mumbled. He looked pointedly at Edward, who returned the look and nodded without saying anything out loud. It was clear that a silent exchange occurred, but since it was none of my business, I didn't give it a second thought.

Carlisle gave a nod. "In that case, we will return to our home."

Both sides backed away, not wanting to take their eyes off of the other. The peace between us was an uneasy one, but at least it was there. After the wolves disappeared into the trees, we turned back towards the house.

Emmett came up to Scott and challenged him to a round of video games when we got back. Some new game had just come out, and Emmett began telling Scott all about it. The whole subject was boring beyond words for me, so I fell back and left them to their usual trash talk.

Edward approached and began to run next to me. When Scott and Emmett were quite far off, Edward leaned in and whispered, "Any new memories?"

I shook my head in an effort to reply to his question and let my new brother know I didn't want to discuss this now. No such luck.

"You need to tell Scott." My silent shrug did not discourage him. "He should know. If this were happening to him, you'd want to know, wouldn't you? Who knows? He may be able to help. In fact, you should consider telling Carlisle, too." Not wanting to hear anymore, I sped up.

Edward matched my pace, placed his hand on my shoulder, and gently brought me to a stop. "Hey, I'm worried about you. It will give you peace of mind to get these memories–or whatever they are–figured out." He studied my grimace and matched it. "As your friend, I'm telling you that your husband should know. As your brother, I'm telling you that if this starts to harm you, in any way, I'll tell Scott myself."

"Fine," I spat. I knew I was being unfair to him. At the moment, my pride wouldn't let me care.

He shook his head slowly, letting out a low chuckle. "And I thought _my_ wife was stubborn."

We ran in silence as I tried to convince myself that Edward was wrong, even though I knew he wasn't. Clearing my thoughts on the subject—not to mention effectively blocking Edward—I focused on the sky, the trees, the grass—oh look, some ants…

Edward held up his hands. "All right, all right, I get it."

By the time we got back home—what a lovely thought—everyone who had stayed behind was filled in on what happened during the meeting. We were all glad that the wolves were going to keep the peace. Really, the tribe should be grateful that our family wanted the peace kept. Even I knew that if it came down to it, we could destroy the pack and the tribe if we wanted to. They couldn't fight us and protect their people.

_Oh, I see…_

Tolerating the pack's smugness, allowing us to be questioned—it was all an illusion. How clever! Allowing the pack to _think_ they had the upper hand gave them a sense of security. A false one, but the effect was the same: They wouldn't seek to fight to gain the upper hand if they already thought they had it.

When I asked Jasper about my theory, he winked at me. "You figure that out all on your own? Hmm, see you've got a bit of a strategist in you. Just make sure you don't let on to any of the dogs. We only have the upper hand as long as they _think_ they do." He looked around then whispered, "I know they helped us out a while back, but you never know. There may come a time when we'll fight against them. While I hope it never happens, we need to keep any advantage we have, just in case."

_Note to self: never get on Jasper's bad side._

The afternoon passed pleasantly. Jasper talked me into a game of super chess and quickly beat me. I would seek my revenge once I was able to watch him play a few games and hopefully learn some of his strategy. Alice showed me her fashion design program. We had lot of fun designing new clothes for various members of the family. She did most of the designing while I offered my opinion when she asked for it.

No one seemed to notice that Carlisle's phone rang, and he stepped outside to take the call. When he came back in, the sadness on his face was clear. Something was wrong.

Esme took her mate's hand. "What is it, dear? You look troubled."

He patted the hand that covered his. "The hospital called. There was some bad news at work today. One of the ER nurses, Janet Higgins…you met her at the last hospital fund raiser."

"Yes, she was recently married."

"Only three weeks ago." Carlisle turned to face us all, since we were all listening at this point. "They went to Mount Rainier for their honeymoon–they were avid backpackers."

"_Were_?" Edward asked.

"They had been traveling along White River, and they simply disappeared. Rescue teams searched for a week. We had all hoped they simply decided to stay longer and were unable to call. But their bodies were found early this morning. It seems their kayak struck a tree that had fallen into the river. They capsized, were sucked under by the current, and the straps on their life vests became tangled in the branches. What a waste of two young lives. I didn't know them well, but it is sad." He reached up and stroked Esme's cheek. "I really am fine, dearest. However, I would like to take a walk with you." Esme smiled at her husband. Linking arms, they walked out.

Edward, Scott, and I were still talking about the tragedy when Renesmee jumped into her daddy's lap. I stared at her just a moment too long as the familiar ache for my children tore through me.

_What are they doing right now? _

The thought floated through my mind, dozens of times, each and every day. The ache would have a permanent place in my heart. Nothing would fill the hole—ever. I had accepted that part of myself. Sure, the reports from the P.I. team helped ease it, but only a little.

Since Edward had not given his permission to speak to his daughter, I decided to leave. As I rose from the sofa, Edward placed a hand on my arm, so I sat back down.

"Renesmee," Edward instructed, "this is Scott and Diane. They have joined our family, so I want you to think of them the same way as Jasper and Alice or Emmett and Rosalie."

The child cocked her head and studied us. "You fought my Jacob. Momma said that you did it because you didn't know him, and you thought he was going to hurt me." She giggled at our foolishness. "He would never do that, you know."

"Yes, we did, I'm afraid," I admitted. "I'm sorry if we frightened you. Now we know Jacob would never hurt you, so we won't do that again."

She flashed the most beautiful smile. "Then we can be friends!"

"Wonderful!" I replied. "That would make me very happy."

"I like to play the piano and read all kinds of books. Daddy is teaching me to play chess, and Grandma Esme wants to teach me to cook."

"It sounds like you are on your way to becoming a very accomplished young lady," I replied sincerely. It took a lot of restraint to keep from sweeping her up and hugging her. Perhaps we would be close enough for hugs soon.

Bella called out to tell her daughter it was time for her dinner.

"I have to go, bye!" The little girl hopped down and waved before taking her mother's hand and dancing with her into the kitchen.

Making a point to show my appreciation to Edward, I told him that I thought his daughter was lovely. He beamed with fatherly pride and explained that her growth was faster than a human's. She would only have five more years of childhood left, and he was enjoying every minute of it. I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice when I reminded him to treasure every memory of her childhood, but the pity on Edward's face told me I had failed.

Scott touched me on the shoulder. "Come and take a walk with me." Grateful for the escape from the uncomfortable silence, I hopped up quickly. He smirked at Edward's questioning glance. "We won't be out of sight, big brother." I followed my husband out the back door. Stopping at the large boulder near the river, we both hopped up and sat facing each other. Scott looked up at the night sky, and we made small talk about how many stars we could see on such a clear night. When that conversation was over, he let out an exasperated sigh.

"_Let's keep this private." _ Scott wanted to have a mental conversation? _"If we speak the family will hear, but if we do it this way, I think our distance from the house will even keep it from Edward._"

Now it was my turn to sigh. I felt a fight coming on. _"What do you want to talk about?"_

Scott took my hand. His mental tone was soft when he asked, _"Why do you keep fighting me when I just want to protect you? Do you actually expect me to sit by, and do nothing, when someone like Jacob raises his voice to my wife?"_

He wanted to do this now? Fine. Instantly irritated, my tone was not as nice as his. _"I expect you to let me stand up for myself, especially when I'm in no real danger. Have a little faith in me."_

"_What?"_

"_Are you blind, Scott? I take down mountain lions with my bare hands! I think I can handle a loud-mouthed werewolf."_

"_Jacob's a lot more powerful than that and you know it. You saw what he did to me."_

"_He didn't attack me. Jeez, he didn't even growl."_

"_That's not the point!" _

"_What _is_ your point?"_

"_You're my wife, and it's my job to protect you."_

"_So, you don't trust me to be able to take care of myself?"_

Scott's eyes flashed in anger. _"Trust? Don't you dare mention trust. You've been acting strange ever since you saw that photo of Yani. I knew something was wrong right away, and I tried to get you to talk to me then, but you said you needed time. I've giving you time. Lots of it, but you still won't talk to me. Edward sure seems to know what's going on. Didn't think I noticed that, huh? Now how do you think that makes me feel?"_

"_You don't understand."_

"_I _want_ to understand, Diane! I really do, but how can I, if you won't confide in me? Did it ever cross your mind that I could help?" _ He folded his arms over his knees, but they only stayed there for a moment._ "If someone's gonna help you, it should be me."_ Scott was gesturing with his hands as he spoke. A clear sign that he was becoming angry.

"_Are we back to the protecting thing again?"_

"_Why do you have such a problem with that word?"_

I huffed. _"It not the word, Scott, it's that you think I need protecting."_

"_Maybe not as much as you used to, but it's still my job."_

"_Oh, really?" _My tone was very snippy at this point. I should've just walked away.

"_Yes, really."_ He was doing the "stare and glare" thing. This was his way of telling me that he still thought he was right and that he had nothing else to say, because the last point he made still stood. How I hated it when he did that.

Ugh.

A little voice in my head told me not to do it. It was hitting below the belt—I was twisting things—but I did it anyway. Perhaps, if I had thought about it for just a few more seconds, I would have stopped myself. I _should_ have stopped myself. But…

"_Why is it that when we were human, you had no problems leaving me alone for a weekend every month, or for two weeks every summer, or for months and months at a time? Not just me, Scott—me and our children. But now…now that I'm pretty much indestructible, you have a problem with someone raising their voice to me? You have no clue how hard it was to be all alone back then."_

Scott's eyes grew absolutely fierce as they bored into mine. _"Now just hold up–"_

Yep, should've listened to that little voice.

"_You don't understand what I am trying to say, there's more." _

"_I was doing my duty!"_

"_I know that."_

"_How dare you throw that back at me!"_

My anger was building. He wasn't listening. The mental fatigue of conversing mentally and struggling with my temper was wearing on me. My vision began to blur around the edges.

"_Scott, let me finish. What I mean is–" _

"_You knew what you were getting into when you married me!"_

"_Yes, I did."_

"_Then why in the hell are you bringing this up now‽"_

"_You're not letting me finish."_

"_It's not like I _wanted_ to leave!"_

"_I know that!"_

Feeling my self-control beginning to slip, I squeezed my hands together. The blurred edges of my sight turned black and my vision became tunneled as my eyes stayed locked on my mate.

"_It was my duty."_

"_Scott, stop."_

"_My service to my country!"_

"_Scott, let me finish!"_

A loud crash rang out, snapping us out of our intense concentration.

"Edward!" Bella cried out. The panic in her voice jolted us to our feet, and we dashed to the house where we found Edward on the floor while his wife rubbed his cheek.

Holding his mate, Jasper narrowed his eyes at us over the top of her head. Poor Alice was beside herself.

"I don't understand. Why didn't I see?" She jumped when I touched her shoulder and curled further into Jasper. His low growl made me take a quick step back, which earned him a glare from his wife. With a sigh, he loosened his hold but didn't release her. After a whispered reassurance that she was fine, Alice turned in his arms to look at me.

"Alice, what happened?" I whispered.

Her answer came out in a soft rush. "I don't know. He was playing Bella's song, then he just froze, held his hands to his head, and then he fell over."

"Are you alright, son?" Carlisle helped Edward to his feet and guided him to the couch.

Edward nodded. "Yes, I'm fine now." He lifted his eyes to us. "Would you mind explaining to me precisely _how_ you did that?"

"Did what?" Scott replied.

"Those weren't feel good vibes comin' off you two out there." Jasper! We never considered _his_ range. "I don't know how they're related, but they are. The same time their anger was spikin' out there, his pain was spikin' in here." Jasper studied us, making me feel uncomfortable.

Carlisle placed a hand on his son's arm. "Edward, explain everything that happened. We need to figure out what caused this."

Edward ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Ask _them_."

_We really have no idea. Scott and I wouldn't purposely hurt you. You have to know that by now._

He let out a huff and his shoulders relaxed. "At first, I didn't hear them. They were at the river's edge. I wasn't trying to listen; they obviously wanted some privacy. That's why I was playing, to make sure I wouldn't. Suddenly, I couldn't _help_ but hear them—they were so _loud_. Their thoughts turned into a hum, then a high-pitched squeal that made my ears ring. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor."

By the time Edward quit speaking, all eyes were on us. Did we do something? The look on Scott's face told me that he was as clueless as I was.

Carlisle turned to us. "What were you doing out there?"

_Great, now everyone would know we had been fighting._ _So much for not airing our dirty laundry._

"We were...talking…mentally," Scott hedged. "We needed to discuss some things privately. That's why we went to the river, so Edward wouldn't hear."

"You've conversed mentally around Edward before," Carlisle mused. "Edward, has this humming or squealing ever happened when you've listened to them before?" Edward shook his head, causing Carlisle to shift his eyes back to us. "Was there anything unusual about this particular conversation?"

How embarrassing. "Scott and I were arguing, okay? Well, it didn't start off that way, but we were both getting mad and our thoughts were getting louder. It was weird; my vision blurred a bit and right near the end everything started to tunnel..."

"Mine, too!" Scott interrupted. "I thought it was because I was losing my temper."

Carlisle snapped into scientist mode. "Interesting. Have you ever had such an _emotional _mental conversation before?" We shook our heads. "I would very much like to do some experimenting. Are you up for it, Edward? I don't want to cause you any undue pain, but the more we know…" He sounded hopeful.

Edward was as eager to learn as his father. "I agree. If we can figure out what causes it, then it can be prevented." He shot a pointed look in our direction. "Because that feeling was most unpleasant, I assure you."

"Sorry," we both muttered.

Rosalie ascended the stairs with Emmett. "If you guys are going to play scientist, then we're going to find something better to do." Emmett's grin stretched even wider as he followed his wife like the love-sick puppy he was.

Bella's eyebrows knit together. "Edward, I can't watch this and really don't want Renesmee to."

"Love, I'll be fine." He kissed them both goodnight and promised to be careful.

After a quick goodnight to us, and a threat of violence if her mate was injured, Bella scooped up her daughter and left for their cottage.

Esme declared she had some blueprints that needed her attention. Jasper told us he'd had enough anger for one night before leaving with Alice in tow.

We sure knew how to clear a room.

Once again, we experimented much like the night our mental abilities were discovered. Arguing, even mentally, with an audience is not as easy as one might think. Our lame attempts at arguing about anything _but _what we had been arguing about produced nothing except laughter from Edward. The topics we picked were ridiculous. Especially when it was about how many times each day I liked to take advantage of our lovely closet.

We weren't really getting anywhere until Carlisle said the one thing we were hoping he wouldn't. "It would probably be best to recreate the argument you were having outside." My grimace didn't go unnoticed. "We are not trying to pry, but it may be helpful."

That was the very last thing I wanted to do. Judging from Scott's expression, he felt the same way.

"_Can you think of a way out of this?" _I asked

He shook his head and we both sighed in resignation. Sitting on the couch, we faced each other. Having perfect vampiric recall made repeating exactly what we said all too easy. Before long, the same pattern—including the boiling emotions—began to repeat. This time, I had the benefit of my peripheral vision to see just how our argument affected our new brother.

When we started, it was apparent, and expected, that he could hear us. His eyes widened when he realized I still hadn't told Scott about my memories. As we got louder and faster, he winced as if it hurt his ears; when our eyes actually locked and everything began to blur he trembled, just a bit. It was only when my vision tunneled that he gripped his head and fell to the floor.

"Enough!" Edward shouted.

"Did you catch all that?" I asked Scott. He nodded, so I turned to Carlisle and explained all of my observations. Scott nodded his agreement as I spoke.

Edward shed some light. "I winced simply because your thoughts were loud. You can both understand that they can be louder than a spoken voice." That made sense to me, and I said so. "When your gaze on each other deepened, your thoughts began to hum. What I mean to say is, the words started to slur together until they were just a humming sound. It was annoying but not really painful. I can only guess that when your vision tunneled is when it turned into the head-piercing squeal."

"Fascinating," Carlisle exclaimed.

"Painful," Edward corrected.

"Sorry about that," I said quietly. "We'll try not to do that again around you."

Carlisle looked at Edward. "I'd like to try one more thing."

Edward groaned. "Fine. All in the name of science, right?"

"This may be uncomfortable." Carlisle smirked. "But I would like to test if this happens only when you are angry or if it will happen with any…intense emotion."

I squirmed in my seat. "Such as?"

"Take your pick but…umm…passion would be the easiest to initiate."

OK, it's not like we were newlyweds but still, who wanted to do _that_ in front of their family? I was all for figuring this out, but really, there had to be a better way.

Carlisle seemed to sense my distress. "I'm sure that if you focus, most of the details will be just a hum."

I squirmed again. "Edward, I may not be able to look you in the eye for a week after this."

"Mind reader, remember? Probably nothing I don't already know, sorry."

I winced. "Great, now I can never look you in the eye again."

Scott scoffed. "Oh, please."

We turned to face each other and locked eyes. My brain was scrambling for a way to keep the humiliation to a minimum. So I pictured our bed, just the bed, and pushed the image to my husband.

Edward sat bolt upright. "Wait! You can share images too?"

"Sure," Scott replied. "What's the big deal?"

Edward explained. "Not everyone who is able to communicate mentally can do so with pictures. Most can use only words. I can see the mental pictures of others because I am reading their thoughts. However, when you two communicate, it's because you are purposely sending your thoughts to each other. Sending images takes more control."

"Interesting," Carlisle murmured.

"No pictures," Edward groaned. "I get enough of those as it is."

Using the new subject material, we tried again. Sure enough the result was the same. Since we knew what we were doing this time, we were able to concentrate and get to the blurring/humming and tunneling/squealing before our conversation became truly embarrassing. Edward expressed his thanks for that. Carlisle asked us to repeat the argument again. Since we never did resolve the issue, the anger between us was still pretty hot. This time, we stopped as soon as we noticed our vision blur and spared Edward any more pain.

"So," I pondered, "if we can learn to focus and concentrate, but not get too heated, we can keep Edward out of our mental conversations?"

Carlisle shrugged. "Yes, it would seem so. With some practice, you should be able to block out anyone who has a talent such as Edward. Still, you may not be able to block out at least one mind reader that I can think of."

"Aro would probably be the exception," Edward agreed. "It is an intriguing idea. Still, I don't see that being tested any time soon." He was probably right. Carlisle had told us of the gifted vampires in the Volturi. Since Aro reads every thought a person had ever had, it really meant that he was reading memories. It stood to reason that he would be able to read the memories of our "shielded" mental conversations, too, since we would remember them.

From what we learned about the Volturi, we knew that a trip to Italy would have to be made eventually, as a sign of respect, especially because of our connection to Carlisle. There was no reason to hurry. We were still newborns, after all. Once we were able to be around humans safely, we had a long list of things to do before going to Italy.

When had the sun come up? Once again, we had spent an entire night entertaining Carlisle and Edward as they experimented with our abilities.

Carlisle mentioned having a book of Volturi history in his study, and Scott asked to see it. The book didn't interest me, so I decided to stay where I was. Watching them ascend the stairs, I could feel Edward's eyes on me. We sat in silence until the study door closed.

"This is getting out of hand. You're letting it come between you."

Leaning back, I studied the ceiling. "I know."

"You must tell him."

"Not yet."

"What on earth are you waiting for?" Edward's voice grew a little too loud.

"Shhhh," I hissed. "You've seen them. I don't know what they mean any more than you do!"

Edward ran his hand through his hair.

"You know, if you weren't a vampire, you'd be bald."

He leveled his gaze at me. "Don't try to distract me. If one more thing happens because you won't tell him, then I will."

"I'm afraid, Edward."

"Why?"

_What if these are memories of something bad. The feelings they bring—they're horrible. What if there are terrible things in my past, something I've done?_

"Then you'll do what the rest of us have done. Learn to forgive yourself."

"I need more time."

"That's not going to work on me anymore."

"You're not going to let it go, are you?"

He smirked. "No."

Not trusting my words at the moment, I huffed my irritation and gave my attention back to the ceiling.

"Diane, I know what it's like to let self-doubt get a hold in your heart. It almost cost me the love of my existence. Don't make the same mistake and let this put distance between you and yours."

Seeing that I was done talking, he sighed. "Speaking of Bella, I see that she and Renesmee are coming from the cottage. Breakfast time for my little love." As he made his way to the kitchen, the study door opened. Edward nodded to Scott and Carlisle on his way out.

Esme came down the stairs. As usual, her smile made me feel at ease. It was easy to see that she was the heart of the family. She hugged me then took a step back. "Can I speak with you both for a minute or two?"

"Of course," I answered.

Esme sat next to me on the couch and our husbands joined us. "I wanted to discuss your house."

Scott shrugged. "That's all been taken care of. My sister and her husband have–"

She waved her hand. "No, dear. Not your children's house. I'm speaking of the house you have been living in. You see, there is an empty room on the third floor here in the main house. It was Edward and Bella's before they moved into the cottage. You are more than welcome to take that room, if you'd like. However, I thought you might prefer to stay where you are."

Finally, I understood. "Oh, you mean the guest house."

She smiled sweetly. "You're family, remember? If that's where you want to stay, then it's yours."

"You're so kind," I told her. "Yes, I'd like to stay where we are. Is that alright with you, sweetie?" He agreed as I knew he would. We were both grateful to have a place to practice our gift alone. Now that we had a new aspect of our ability to practice, it was probably better for us, and Edward, if we had some distance.

Esme smiled. "Then it is settled. In that case, I would like to know what changes you would like made?"

"Changes?" I had no idea what she meant.

Carlisle scooted closer to his wife and hugged her. "Looking for another project, my dear? Esme will look for any reason to remodel or redecorate." He laughed and then kissed her forehead. "She really does enjoy it."

"The house is fine the way it is," I replied. "Please, don't go to any trouble for us."

Esme's reaction was the exact opposite of what I was hoping for. She actually frowned. Great, now I felt bad.

"It's not that I don't appreciate the offer. Really, I do. I just can't think of anything to change. It's lovely just as it is."

Scott just nodded. No help at all.

Alice flitted down the stairs and appeared before us, happily hopping up and down. "I know what they need! A housewarming party!"

"A party? No…really," I began.

Bella emerged from the kitchen with Renesmee and Edward. "Don't try to stop her." She laughed. "Once Alice decides to throw a party, it's best to just get out of her way. I know from experience."

"Oh! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Alice chirped. "Please, please, pleeeeeeeease? You will make me _so_ happy!" Alice looked at me with pleading eyes. Who was I to deny my new sister?

"Sure, Al–" was all I got out before she scooped me up in a big hug.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she squealed. Before I could say another word, she was back up the stairs muttering about decorations, gifts, and restocking our closet.

One by one, the whole family had made their way back into the living room. After hearing Alice, they all burst into laughter and I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

Jasper groaned. "Well, looks like I'm a bachelor for—hey, Alice?" She appeared at the top of the stairs, and his eyes lifted to his wife. "Darlin', when will we have this little party?"

Alice looked up as if a calendar were on the ceiling. "Saturday will do. No one will be busy that day. Yes, it's clear now. Everything will work out nicely. That gives me five days. That will be enough time. Why, Jazz?"

"Just wanted to know how long you'd be _occupied_ for," he answered dryly.

Alice opened her mouth to reply but then she froze. Her eyes unfocused and darted back and forth.

Jasper flashed to the top of the stairs and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders, patiently waiting for her vision to pass, before asking, "Alice, what do you see?"

"I'm not sure." She froze and unfroze again. "They're just more flashes." She fell silent as more came. "Bah! They still don't make any sense at all."

Jasper crossed his arms. "It's been weeks. I don't like it."

Carlisle frowned. "Flashes?"

"Just tiny bits of visions, so yes, flashes," Alice replied.

Not put off by Alice's defensive tone, he pressed on. "And you've been seeing them for weeks? Alice, what do you see in these flashes?"

"I only see us," she puzzled. "I see everyone in the family but not all together. They're so fast, I can't tell what we are doing or where we are." She shrugged. "You know how these things go. They've been happening once or twice a week. Once whatever it is gets closer, they'll come more often and will show me more. Quit moping, Jazz. There's really no telling what they mean right now."

Jasper still looked worried. "If you say so, darlin'."

"I do." Alice laughed and kissed him quickly. "Don't worry. Now, let me be! I have a party to plan. Come on, Esme. I could use your help, please." Esme laughed and followed Alice to her room.

Falling into my favorite spot on the sofa, I glanced across the room. My eyes landed on my mate. So much was unresolved between us. Not only did I not understand why I felt compelled to keep the memories from Scott, I hated it. Why? Why did my heart clench at the mere thought of telling anyone?

I peeked at Scott again. Ah, good. Thoroughly entrenched in video game warfare—he'd be busy for a while.

Closing my eyes to ward off any unwanted conversation, I let my mind drift back to what had become my own private torment. Edward was right. I should tell Scott. Part of me wanted to. We had already shared a lifetime together. I couldn't remember ever hiding things from him. But every time I even thought about telling him, irrational, overwhelming fear gripped me. _Keep the secret!_ The fear screamed. _Trust no one! They will betray you! _ It was impossible to keep the secret in this family—I was on borrowed time.

Edward knowing was bad enough. He'd seen and heard the fractured images and thoughts that swirled in my head—so many unusual things flashing through my mind. He probably thought I was crazy or delusional. _Delusional?_ With that one word, something triggered within me, and they started again.

"_Psychotic delusions."_

"_Where's this so-called proof?"_

_The wooden music box…small and square._ No! I tried to make them stop.

"_You must never tell anyone. Ever."_ I fought to stay calm on the outside, to make it stop.

_Betrayal._ The fear was growing…taking control. _Please, make it stop._

"Please, make it stop." _Wait. Did I just say that out loud?_

A light touch to my hand chased it all away.

"Diane, what are you talking about?" Scott's hand grazed my cheek.

I blinked the haze away, to find a room full of family gaping at me.

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

8.24.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

My betas are awesome and have helped me learn a lot since I started this story.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Did you see it? I slipped an interrobang in here. This little-known punctuation mark ( ‽) is a cross between a question mark and an exclamation point. FFn finally supports them so I had to toss it in there.

Writers thrive on reviews! Even if it's as little as one line, please take the time to make my day! Shameless bribe: anyone who leaves a review will be sent a teaser for Chapter 11.

An outtake from chapter 11 of NWB has been donated to Fandom 4 Storms. So many have been affected April's tornados and the need is great. For any donation to an established charity (such as the Red Cross) you will receive a compilation of several fan fic outtakes, one-shots, and more. For full details check out the Fandom 4 Storms website: Donations

~MA


	11. Lessons to Learn

11

Lessons to Learn

Scott put his hands on my cheeks and turned my face to his gaze. The love and concern radiating from him became a double-edged sword when the comfort I felt from his presence combined with his gentle touch. The sword pierced my heart with the shame of all the pain I had caused.

"Diane, you're shaking. What's wrong?"

"I…" My voice faded to nothing.

Jasper and Edward came closer, and thanks to their gifts I was trapped—they knew everything. Neither of them approved of me keeping things to myself, and their faces told me so…forcefully.

"Diane, sweetheart, talk to me." The desperation in Scott's eyes was too much.

"I…"

Fear had a firm grip on me, its tendrils reaching the depths of my soul. I couldn't share this–I wouldn't. Letting my head fall back, I searched for the right words to explain, to justify my secret, to make it all okay. The words wouldn't come. There was no explanation but the truth, and the very thought of telling it felt as if it would crush me.

Calming waves broke over my thoughts. The relief was a welcome intrusion, but unsatisfying, as it helped only a little. The calm didn't settle me completely; terror ran too deep. When it poured over me a second time—a stronger wave—yet with the same result, my gaze went to Jasper.

Narrowed eyes belied his calm face. "Yeah, I can feel that. Takes a lot to keep me out and that's _not_ a good thing."

"Why would I try to keep you out?" I challenged.

Crossing his arms, he drawled, "Why _indeed_? All I know is you are."

Edward placed a hand on Scott's shoulder. "I can tell you."

"No. I want to hear it from _her_." I knew that determined look, and it scared me.

"We understand." Removing his hand, Edward turned to me. "Diane, we'll leave it to you."

Without another word, they left us. Looking around, I was surprised to find the room empty. Alice and Esme were still talking in her room and Rose had joined them. Carlisle was in his study; the tapping of his keyboard gave him away.

Scott simply looked at me. "I'm waiting."

"Everyone will hear."

He sighed, never losing his look of determination, and took my hand. "Okay, we'll go back to our place."

Before I could protest, we were outside. Like a toddler having a tantrum, my brain screamed and squirmed for a way to avoid what was wanted of me. _How can I get out of this? I need more time._

Only a few feet from our front door, salvation came when a fierce growl filled the air. We turned toward the sound in time to see Emmett fly into the side of a tree, sending it to the ground with a crash. He quickly jumped to his feet and called out to someone we couldn't see.

"Cheater! Why do I even bother with you?" A grimace crossed his face as he brushed himself off and raced back into the forest.

Taking the opportunity to put off our talk, I pulled on Scott's hand. "Let's go see what's up."

Scott wasn't fooled for a minute. "Diane..."

I hated when he used that warning tone, especially when he used it with me. Stuffing down my irritation, I tried again. "Come on. We'll talk later." Which really meant never. Ugh. When did I become such a coward?_ Oh right, since I wanted to avoid a certain conversation._

Scott huffed. "Fine, just remember, I'm _not_ letting this go." I shrugged and took off after Emmett, knowing that my husband would follow.

We trailed his scent back to the clearing, where we had finished our first hunt. As we reached the tree line, Emmett went sailing over our heads and crashed to the ground, leaving a large crater in the earth. Without a word, he shook the dirt and debris from his hair, then jumped up and raced back for more. Edward was ready and waiting when Emmett lunged. With a bored look, he stepped to the side, and Emmett went flying past him.

"You wuss!" Emmett bellowed as he disentangled himself from a large bush. "Afraid I'll get my hands on you and mess up your pretty hair? Turn it off and fight like a man!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "First of all, I am fighting like a man, and second—as I've said before—I can't turn off my ability any more that you can turn off your muscle, so quit being a crybaby."

Emmett needed an edge, so I decided a distraction was in order.

"Hey, Edward," I called cheerfully.

Edward turned to wave, and when Emmett wasted no time, I smiled. Before Edward could return my greeting, Emmett tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"Thanks sis," he beamed.

"You're quite welcome," I replied, failing to stifle my laughter.

Edward stopped moving and shot me an incredulous look. "Ganging up on me, are you?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps. Honestly, would it really hurt to let him win once in a while, just to spare his feelings?"

Looking up at Emmett, he mocked, "Need the help of a lady to win?"

Emmett sat on his brother's legs. "Hey, I'll take all the help I can get when it comes to wrestling you, bro."

With a playful growl, Edward reached up, grabbed Emmett by the shoulders, and flipped him backwards. Emmett grabbed Edward's legs as he passed, and they both tumbled over. Growls and snarls rang out as they moved. After a time of wrestling, they would part and face each other, circling in a low crouch. The vampiric sounds we heard were obviously not those of real fight. Still, my brothers held my rapt attention as they sparred. One would jump at the other, and they would go another round. Like a well-choreographed dance, I found it beautiful–in a deadly sort of way.

My attention was so taken by my sparring brothers that I didn't notice that Jasper had sat next to Scott until he spoke. "You both need to learn, you know. I think you have enough control to be able to practice without killing someone, now." We both just looked at him, and Jasper jerked his chin forward. "To fight." He turned his eyes to Scott. "To fight like a _vampire_. You can't fight like you used to, as a soldier. You have natural weapons now; more powerful than a rifle, and you'll need trainin' to learn to use them—and your new body—properly. That little spat with Jacob was nothin', I assure you."

The fact that Jasper said we _both_ should learn to fight got my attention. "That sounds good to me. When can we start?"

Scott looked at me like I was crazy. "Oh no, not you."

"Hello!" I waved my hand at him. "Vampire here! No longer a helpless little human." Scott just stared at me. Rather than rant about how much I hated it when he did that, I enlisted support for my cause.

"Jasper, help me out here."

Fighting a smile, he cleared his throat. "She needs to learn, too." Scott's stare turned angry as faced his new brother. "Look, I have a wife, too. The urge to protect your wife, your mate, is strong. Stronger now than in our human lives. But as their protectors, we have to make sure they can handle themselves. We can't always be around, and they can be an asset in battle when they're prepared. She already proved herself willing when she helped fight the dog."

"Have many battles around here?" Scott asked dryly.

Jasper frowned. "Unfortunately we have. Was just last year when…"

I could feel a soldier's story coming on, but I wasn't interested. I wanted to learn to fight. Leaving the military men to reminisce, I made my way closer to where Edward and Emmett were once again circling. For a while, I simply watched in silence. Their exchange fascinated and scared me at the same time. Of course, my vampire mind made it easy to memorize the moves they made. Still, seeing others fight and being able to fight yourself were two very different things.

Edward stopped and held his hand up for Emmett to do the same. "You are absolutely correct, Diane. Care to give it a try?"

A growl came from Scott, and I rolled my eyes. The protection thing was _way _past starting to get old. I stood from my seat, carefully avoiding my husband's eyes. "Why yes, Edward, teach me. I am your willing student."

Jasper decided to diffuse the tension and nudged my husband's shoulder. "Time for your first lesson, too. Let's go where we'll have some space to ourselves. Besides, there are a few things we need to talk over."

Scott shot a glare at me before they left, telling me that this had been added to our list of "things to talk about." I stifled a groan and turned back to Edward. Not understanding the look on his face, I apologized for my husband's rude behavior.

"You are aware," Edward began slowly, "that he's simply trying to protect you, and you are making it very difficult for him."

How annoying! I needed to set my big brother straight. "Look, thanks and all, but is it _really_ any of your business?"

He laughed. "As much as you would like to 'set me straight' you would do well to hear me out."

_Stupid mind reading vampire!_

Edward narrowed his eyes and put on a tone of mock disapproval. "I will let that pass _this time, _my young sister."

I scoffed—he pretended not to notice but did soften his tone. "Truly it _is_ my business, as it affects the happiness of my family, which you're now a part of. You need to understand that the male vampire's instinct to protect his mate is powerful. He doesn't do it out of condescension but of love. You alone have the power to calm your husband with a touch or by simply allowing him to keep you safe."

"Great," I mocked, "I'm just a helpless girl in distress. Save me!"

"You are missing the point," Edward said with exasperation. "If you push him away when he tries to protect you, it will only anger him, and he'll try even harder. Allowing him to pull you close helps calm and focus him. He'll only feel whole when you are near and there is peace between you."

I kicked at the dirt. "Guess that makes sense."

"Can we get to the lessons _now_?" Emmett groaned. "I want to wrestle with my new sister."

Edward shook his head. "Didn't Bella teach you anything when she was a newborn?"

With a shrug he answered. "Hey, it was fun. Come on, let's do this."

Edward put a hand on my shoulder as I turned to move away. "There is one more thing you need to know." My impatience came out as a huff. "This is important. Please, pay attention." Turning back, I faced him. "Good men, and by that I mean vampires, have been lost in battle because they were distracted by a mate who refused to respect his protective instinct."

It didn't make sense to me, but I didn't want to be rude. "Thanks Edward. I'll try to keep that in mind."

We spent the next two hours training. They took turns; one would mock-fight with me, while the other would tell me how I could improve. It was a lot of fun. Newborn strength was awesome! When I was actually able to get a grip on Emmett's leg, I threw him into a tree. Edward fell on the ground laughing over that.

My large brother was less than amused. "Yeah okay, you got me that one time. Just try that again."

My finger curled up to urge him forward. "Bring it."

Edward stopped us. "Jasper and Scott are back. Let's try something new." He turned to the house. "Alice, can you come out here, please?"

Alice raced to Jasper's side and planted a kiss on his lips. She and Edward exchanged a long look. "Yes, I saw. Good idea, Edward. I'll be happy to help."

Scott stepped next to me and smiled briefly. It didn't escape my notice that we were the only couple not touching in some way. My heart tightened as I realized the distance between us was growing; the one way to fix it was the one way I had to avoid.

Edward stepped to the center of the clearing, called Jasper forward, and asked everyone else to sit on the ground.

Alice sat next to me. "This is going to be very educational," she whispered. The little pixie reached into her pocket, pulled out a red ribbon, and tied it around her throat with a little bow that she pushed off to the side. Leave it to Alice to need an accessory for fighting practice.

"OK, Jasper," Edward began, "you can see Alice is safe and is far away from me, right?"

Jasper gave his brother a knowing smile. "I see where you're headed. Good one. I'm ready."

Edward and Jasper began to circle. They jumped at each other and grappled for a bit before circling again. Snarls poured out as they moved. It looked much the same as when Emmett was practicing with Edward. Sure, I could see the difference in fighting style; Jasper was lightning fast. I guessed that it was only by using his gift that Edward was able to evade him as much as he did. They traded hits, but it was obvious they were holding back and not trying to really hurt the other.

Jasper stopped and raised his hands, halting Edward. Smiling at his wife, Jasper held out his hand. "Alice, come on over here." When she took his hand, he kissed her lightly and pulled her behind him. "Behave this time, sugar," he drawled over his shoulder.

As they started to circle again Alice kept in step with her husband. Every time he lashed out at Edward, she moved so that she was right behind him when he landed. It was very impressive. There was no way Edward could've touched her. As the sparring continued, the three vampires edged closer to a tree. When Jasper got close to it, while not taking his eyes off of Edward, he gently pushed Alice to the tree. Once he did this, she stayed there and Jasper changed his dance. Instead of going in circles with Edward, he moved back and forth across the tree effectively cutting Edward off at every pass. Edward eventually held up his hands in surrender, and they both stopped.

Moving back to their starting positions, once again Jasper pulled Alice behind him. "Okay, little one, you know what to do." Alice nodded with a smile. Edward and Jasper began to circle. This time, Alice did not stay behind her mate. She stepped to his side, so Jasper stepped in front of her. Alice did it again. As Edward lunged for Jasper, it was a completely different fight. Within ten seconds, Jasper was on the ground. He got up, shook his head, and faced Edward again. Clearly, Jasper was unfocused.

Without warning, chaos took over when Edward lunged at the precise moment Alice moved to Jasper's side. The time that it took to move protectively in front of her was time Jasper didn't have to defend himself. With a quick sweep of the legs, Jasper went down hard. A fierce growl rang out when Edward went for Alice. Jasper was up and after his brother quickly, but it was too late. In only thirty-six seconds, Edward stopped, his hand raised in the air, holding the red ribbon from Alice's throat.

Looking at that ribbon, realization slammed into me. Had it been a real battle, Alice would now be dead, and Jasper would have followed right behind her. Everything Edward said to me earlier replayed in my head. Feeling his eyes on me, I looked up. He was nice enough not to embarrass me in front of everyone, so I gave him a nod letting him know I understood what he had just demonstrated so well.

"What an excellent lesson," Carlisle called out, as he made his way from the back of the house. "If you are finished now, it would be a good time for us to take a quick hunting trip. A nice family outing before we separate for the evening?"

Scott grabbed my hand when I jumped up to go. "We still have things to talk about."

"After we hunt?" I offered. My ploy was just putting off the inevitable, and I knew it. Still, our tempers would be easier to keep in check if our thirst was.

With a sigh, he nodded, and we joined the rest of the family. The hunt didn't last forever, of course. Too soon, the family headed back to the main house, and we were heading back to our little one. Of course we needed a shower after the hunt. I made sure the shower led to…other things—and before we knew it, the light of a new day was streaming into our room.

Alice's phone call, asking that I come and choose fabrics for clothes she was designing for me, pushed me to be dressed and out the door before Scott had his jeans on. He let out an exasperated sigh as I left, but he didn't try to stop me. Smart man.

Our little project took up the entire morning. Jasper and Scott filled their time with more sparring. I was okay with that. Sparring with Jasper kept him busy, and busy husbands couldn't have long talks with their cowardly wives.

All week, another distraction had been simmering in the back of my mind. Surely Scott had to be thinking about it, too. Mid-month: I knew what it meant as everyone else did. Dozens of times, I wanted to ask "Did it come?" Each time, I stuffed the question down in an effort to exert some kind of self-control. Not to mention I didn't want to drive everyone crazy, like I had every single month.

The car's engine seemed louder than a helicopter as it came down the road. My quick glance at the clock told me the time was right. I held my breath. Hearing the click of the mailbox closing made it hard to sit still. Since we didn't want the mailman ending up as my snack, I had to wait. I bounced on the balls of my feet, waiting impatiently for someone to go out there. Esme smiled, knowing what I wanted.

"I'll get it."

Coming back inside, she handed me the manila envelope right away. Last month, Emmett though it would be fun to tease me by looking at every single piece of mail _slowly_ before handing over my envelope. He learned his lesson. Paying to have the Emmett-sized hole in the drywall repaired was worth it. Seeing him have to fix it himself was icing on the cake. Of course, I apologized to Esme because I really was sorry—just a little.

Now that I had the envelope in my hands, I let out a huff. Scott was still out wrestling with Jasper. They had grown close, as I suspected they would, and Jasper wanted to make sure Scott's fighting skills were "razor sharp," as he put it.

The thought of waiting until they came back made the envelope to burn in my hands.

"_Scott!"_

"_Busy, hon."_

"_It came, Scott. Tell Jasper you need to get home, right now!"_

I waited. The envelope burned. A finger began to slowly break the seal…

"_I'm coming. Don't you dare open it without me."_

Busted.

I pulled back the offending digit. _"Then hurry!"_

Seventeen minutes and six seconds of agonizing waiting later, Scott met me in our kitchen. We opened the envelope and placed the stack of papers under it as we had before. Hoping for the best, Scott pulled out one page at a time…

The package was blissfully free of bad news.

According to the report, the children were attending school consistently and getting good grades. How'd they get copies of their report cards? I made a mental note to ask Carlisle. While I wanted to know that our children were doing well, I was not willing to have them subjected to a team of P.I.s with questionable business practices.

Aside from the report cards, the only other point of interest were some pictures taken from the inside of the house.

_Yep, definitely need to ask Carlisle how much he trusts the team._

My sister-in-law and her husband were in the process of redecorating the house. I had to admit, a fresh start seemed like a good idea. As much as it hurt to know they were being raised by someone else, I wanted our children to be happy. If that meant redoing the house to make it remind them less of us, then so be it.

Looking at the pictures confused me. While I knew the house had once been our home, I didn't have clear memories of what the house had looked like then. I could only remember bits and pieces. Guess it proved that the house and the stuff just wasn't that important, compared to our family. The notes on the backs of the photos helped fill in the blanks.

Our two oldest daughters, Stacy and Laura, had their room done in hot pink and zebra print. I could almost see them lying on the beds, listening to their iPods. The lampshades edged in hot pink feathers made me laugh, but the humor was shallow. How where they coping? Had they bonded to their aunt? Did they think of me as much as I thought of them? These were questions that a P.I. team would never be able to answer for me.

Jack and Caleb's room was done in a train theme. A dim memory of Scott playing trains with the boys went through my mind, and I promised myself to replay it often until it became clear. I wanted to keep that one. I wondered how much they had changed since that day, how much they had grown. Sorrow began to bubble up, so I squashed the torrent of questions to let it die down.

Our youngest, Cindy, had the typical pink walls and princess theme for a girl of five. Another dim memory—thinking of all the bedtime stories I would miss—made me choke back a sob. Would she even remember me when she was grown?

Looking at Scott, he seemed to be fighting the same internal war as me. That was the dichotomy of these reports—we wanted to know and dreaded the information at the same time.

After another pause, I returned to the stack of pictures. It seemed that the kitchen and family room looked the same—I couldn't be sure.

What used to be our room looked recently done. Deep red and brown with just a few purple accents gave the room a rich feel. It wasn't really my taste, but it looked put together. Looking at the floor–a dark brown, high-gloss wood—another memory stirred.

"Sweetie, did we put in carpet when we moved in that house? I can't remember."

He scrunched up his face. "Hmm…yeah…I think you're right. Yeah, the floor was wood, but it was old and beat up. We put in carpet–"

"Because it was cheaper!" I finished for him. "I wanted to restore the wood floor."

"And I said we had to wait until we could afford it," Scott added.

"We just had to die to afford it." I winced at my lame attempt at humor—neither of us laughed. Thankfully Scott let it pass without comment.

My finger ran along the edges of the photo. Something about that floor bugged me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what that something was.

"What's wrong?" Scott slid the picture from me and studied it.

"Nothing really, there's just something about this picture." I took it from him and tossed it on the pile then shrugged. "I don't know, forget it."

The envelope, once its contents were replaced, went up on the shelf with the others. Perhaps someday, I would want to put the nicer photos in albums. Not today—there was still too much pain. The sadness the monthly packages caused dampened our spirits for a few days. The family had grown used to it and gave us a little space if we wanted it—we usually did. Just another reason why us not living in the main house was a good idea.

Scott went off to spar with Jasper, yet again. Training did wonders for his mood while he worked through his feelings and sharpened his skills. Jasper appreciated having someone whose wife was okay with them "really going at each other." The way I looked at it, any damage would heal before they got home—unless Jasper severed an appendage, but even that would heal eventually.

Finding myself alone, I decided to take a long, hot bath to soak some of the pain away. Surrounded by bubbles, my mind kept drifting back to that photo—that floor. After pushing the thought away for the twenty-third time, I simply started to go ahead and think on it. Nearly an hour passed before the memory broke through…

_The floor, wooden and rough—in the corner. Hands—my hands are prying up a single board and I place something in the space beneath it. Something wrapped in a tan cloth…a towel._

When it suddenly cut off, I growled in frustration, and slammed my fist against the tile wall, cracking four tiles and sending a cascade of fragments into my bathwater. _Great, something else to explain._

Focusing on the memory, I played it in my mind again because of what Jasper had said to me the first time I saw the photo that started the whole mess:

"_Diane, your human memories can't always be trusted. Only those that you treasure or have strong emotional ties to will stay, and they'll be faint at best, unless you replay them enough to make them last."_

When the water cooled, I drained it and refilled the tub with hot water and a fresh dose of bubble bath. This was one of a few places where I could have privacy. Scott still hadn't returned, which meant Jasper was with him. If Edward was close enough to read me, a glimpse of bubbles was one sure way to get him to tune me out.

After many tries, it finally came to me…

_My hands, taking a towel from the cabinet and walking into the room—our bedroom. Cardboard boxes were all over the place._

_Reaching into a black purse, my hand pulls out…the music box! I wrap it up in the towel and put it in the space under the floor. Picking up the hammer, I nail the board back into place._

When my eyes snapped open, the familiar fear tore at me. The music box was _real_. Not only was it real, but it was_ mine_ and I _hid it_. Why?

I had an idea how I could find out.

Another hour passed. Try as I might, I couldn't remember any more about that box. _Where did I get it? Why did I hide it? Did I ever take it back out?_ All of my questions remained unanswered when I heard Scott open the front door.

Reluctantly, I got out of the tub and shoved the questions back. Scott had not brought up the "we need to talk" bit, and I was not about to give him a reason to do so. Especially now that I had even more questions I couldn't answer.

I rolled my eyes when I saw Scott's clothes. They were filthy and torn. I briefly thought about asking _exactly_ what he and Jasper were doing, but then I wasn't sure I really wanted to know—men! Scott wanted to go to the main house and see what everyone was up to, so we quickly dressed and left.

Alice assaulted Scott as soon as we walked into the living room. She started to bounce as she pulled on his arm. "Scott! You have to help me! I'm designing new clothes for Diane, and I must have your opinion on a few things."

My husband looked slowly from Alice, to me, and back. "Umm, Alice, if the clothes are for _Diane,_ then why do you want _my_ opinion?"

"We're talking about your wife here! She wants to look good for you. Of course I want your opinion. She's already picked out some stuff and I want to see what you think of it."

Scott looked at me with desperation. _ "Help me out here!"_

"_Just go. It'll be easier on all of us."_

I stifled a giggle when Alice shot my man her best pleading look. It was clear when Scott decided to give in, because Alice's smile grew wide.

"Excellent!" She grabbed his hand and started up the stairs. Reaching the top, she winked at me. "You can thank me later."

_Thank her, for what, the clothes?_

The family mantra of "never bet against Alice" flitted through my brain. When I found Jasper alone, reading a book, I knew _exactly_ what I needed to thank her for. I never thought the opportunity would come so soon.

"Jasper, I need a favor. It's…umm…kind of a big one."

He closed the book and raised his eyebrows for a moment. "Is that right? Well, what can I do for you?"

"There's something I want from our old house, if it's still there. I _think_ it is. Well, I hope it is." It didn't help my nervousness knowing Jasper could feel it.

He smirked. "Do tell. What do you think might be there?"

I looked around and then listened. We seemed to be alone. Alice must have taken Scott out the window and a distance away in the name of privacy. Nice.

Knowing how strange it would sound, I spoke slowly—to the floor. "A music box. It's in our old room…in the corner…under the floor boards."

Jasper projected the curiosity that matched his expression. "Under the floor? Why'd you put it there?"

A fair question.

"I have no idea."

"Does Scott know?"

An _unwanted_ question.

"No, and I don't want him to."

The book was tossed aside and Jasper's face went dark. "Doggone it! This has to do with whatever you're not telling Scott—or any of us for that matter. Whatever causes you all that fear and anger and pain—all tangled together—it has to do with _that,_ doesn't it?"

I studied my shoes. "Well…"

He crossed his arms. "Absolutely not. I want no part of it."

Giving him my best sisterly smile, I cooed, "Aw, come on, Jasper."

My brother popped from his chair. "Don't you 'aw, come on, Jasper' me! You have no idea how it's tearin' him up inside! He knows somethin's wrong, it has you tied up in knots, and you won't talk to him about it."

I put my hand on his arm and he jerked back.

"No! Ask someone else. Scott will never trust me again if he thinks I'm helpin' you hide this."

He was starting to get angry, and I toyed with the idea of just dropping it, but I couldn't. The fact was, I needed him.

"Jasper, I want to tell him. I just…I just can't."

"You can't? You _can't_? That's just downright stupid. If you want to tell him, just open your pretty little mouth and do it. Actually, with you two, you don't even have to open your mouth. Just tell him already! The emotions between you are drivin' me to distraction!"

I closed my eyes. "Earlier, you accused me of keeping you out, when you tried to calm me."

"You _did_ keep me out."

"I didn't. What I mean is, I didn't _try_ to. The fear—I know you felt it—it's deep, Jasper, and I feel it every time I even _think_ about telling Scott about what's going on. I can't explain it, it's just there." My eyes filled with venom, and I rubbed them in frustration. "I'm trying to figure this out. Please, Jasper, I need that box. I don't even know why I need it. I just do."

Jasper closed the space between us, placed his hands on my shoulders, and looked me right in the eye. His voice softened a bit when he asked, "You wanna tell _me_ what's goin' on?"

Shaking my head, I stepped back. "No, when I'm ready to talk, Scott gets told first. I won't tell anyone before him."

Jasper looked at me.

_He's thinking about it…a good sign._

With a tilt of his head he asked, "Your word? You'll tell Scott, soon as you can?"

"My word," I promised.

He sighed. "Guess that'll do. All right, I'll go get your box."

Scott and Alice came down the stairs. He looked a bit frazzled while Alice looked like she just bought a new Gucci purse.

"Jazz, we need to take a shopping trip to Seattle, a big one. We'll be gone a couple of days. Now that I have Scott's input, I know just what to buy."

Jasper smiled slyly. "A shopping trip, really? Now I suppose we'll just have to leave right away?"

My sister actually had the audacity to look innocent! "Of course, why do you ask?" She batted her eyelashes, which earned her a chuckle from her man.

"Just a lucky guess, darlin'. Let's go pack a few things."

Scott laced his fingers through mine. _"You did a nice job distracting me last night, but we still need to talk."_

I was about to protest when the front door opened to reveal Emmett and Rose. They looked as if they had been in a fight with every bear from here to Canada.

"Have a nice outing?" Scott couldn't contain himself and burst into laughter.

Emmett puffed his chest. "Hey, just 'cuz me and my baby know how to have a good time doesn't mean you have to be a hater."

"Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose are messy, momma. What happened to them?"

We all turned to find Renesmee and her parents coming from the kitchen. Edward looked unhappy.

"They were not very careful with their clothes when they played outside," Edward answered.

At least Rose had the grace to look a little embarrassed. "Yeah, but we're going to change right now. You wait right there, Nessie, and I'll be down in a bit to play a game with you. Would you like that?"

She clapped her little hands. "Yes! Yes! Hurry, please."

We all sat together and enjoyed the conversation which flowed easily. As we talked, I noticed Edward kept looking up the stairs. He still talked with us, but his mind was definitely somewhere else. Each time his gazed drifted, his face turned somber.

"Edward, what's so interesting up there?" Scott asked.

He shifted in his seat like he had been caught doing something wrong. "Well, it's Carlisle. He's thinking of calling you to his study. He wants to talk to you, but he's not sure if he should do it now, or wait."

Scott's eyes went to me. I saw the look of concentration on his face so I did the same. It only took seven seconds for the edges to blur. Edward shouldn't hear a thing. We were getting better.

"_Diane, is there something I should know?"_

"_Great, why don't you just ask me what I did wrong? I have no idea why he wants to talk to us."_

"_Sorry, just checking."_

"_Let's just wait for him to call us, okay?"_

Scott nodded before he answered Bella's question that I didn't even hear her ask. "I spent fourteen months in Afghanistan."

Edward smiled. "Very impressive. You've learned to control your gift rather well. I didn't get a word of that. The humming wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't want to hear it for long periods of time. You managed to keep the squealing away, too. Make sure you let Carlisle know. He'll be interested."

When Carlisle's voice floated down the stairs, my curiosity was already at its peak.

Of all the things I expected to see when I entered Carlisle's office, the state of our sire was far from it. His hand was running through his hair as we entered, and from the look of it, he had made the pass repeatedly. When he was done assaulting his hair, Carlisle crossed his arms tightly over his chest which explained the mass of wrinkles on his shirt. Seeing his disheveled appearance, topped with a look of worry on his face, alarmed me.

He read me like a book, and put a hand on my arm. "You have done nothing wrong, don't worry. Please, sit."

He gestured to the chairs and we complied as he took his chair behind the desk. "Have you read through the private investigator's report?"

"This afternoon," Scott answered.

"Ah, I've noticed you seem a bit down; is everything all right? With your children, I mean, are they well?"

"Yes, thankfully." I couldn't avoid the elephant in the room any longer. "Carlisle, you look upset. What is it?"

After three seconds of silence, Carlisle's unease became even more apparent. He stood and walked the length of the room and back before taking his seat again.

"There's something I need to explain…"

Never had I seen Carlisle at a loss for words. His pained expression had my mind going in so many directions, relief was the first thing I felt when he finally got to it.

"Esme and I were hunting that day—when we heard the crash. Work had been stressful all week, and she insisted that we spend the day away from everything. A mini-vacation, if you will." He smiled briefly before continuing.

"When I first saw you, Diane, you ordered me to get your children out of the van."

I flinched at the thought of ordering Carlisle to do anything and was rewarded with another brief smile.

"I raced back there only to find the doors so mangled that I had to bend the metal to open them. No one could see it, so there was no danger. But I had to be careful, so very careful."

Not understanding where he was going but seeing his building distress, I moved to stand and go to him. A quick shake of his head held me to the chair.

"It would have been so easy, at that moment, to pull the van away from the edge." He rubbed his face roughly. "If everyone had been unconscious, I would have. I swear it. But…you weren't…you would have seen me…seen my strength."

His hands fisted over his eyes. "Perhaps I could have found a way—some way—to protect you, but time was short. It was slipping away, so I left the van where it was. Then you fell, and your bodies were so damaged—there was no way to save you after that."

My heart tore hearing the pain he had carried. He had blamed himself for everything. Knowing he needed to finish, I held my peace, but it was difficult.

"So many times, as I've watched you deal with your loss and pain, have I wanted to confess this to you. You have lost so much. I am very sorry that I didn't find a way to spare you all of this. Please, forgive me?"

Scott had his hands on Carlisle's shoulders before the last sentence was finished. "Carlisle, we understand why you couldn't save us." Carlisle shook his head when Scott let go, but he pressed on. "It was too great a risk. You were protecting your family—and ours—from the wrath of the Volturi. If you had saved us, they would have found out. They would have killed us all."

I took my turn to hug him. "Carlisle, there is nothing to forgive. Please, don't do this to yourself."

Carlisle pulled back from my hug and gazed at both of us. "Is it truly so easy for you to not hold this against me?"

"Of course," I replied. "We trust that you did the best you could for everyone. There simply wasn't a way to make everything work out perfectly."

"Ah, trust," he mused. "I've caused you such pain, yet you honor me with your trust? You blindly accept that the choice I made for you was best?"

There was not a doubt in my mind. "I do."

Carlisle's eyes lit up as if he had a sudden idea. "Thank you for that. However, indulge me one more question?"

"Anything."

"How much more does he deserve your trust and honor when you have been married for so long and have been through so much together?"

His words left me speechless.

"Scott deserves your trust far more than I ever will."

Knowing there was nothing I could say, I hugged Carlisle again and gave a short goodbye before I made my way to the stairs. We were almost at the end when Scott let out a long sigh and took my hand.

"Now that you're finally out of excuses, can we please talk?"

"I really don't want to do this," I muttered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Now or ever?"

"Not yet, please," I pleaded.

_I'm such a coward…what will he think? _

_There's so much I still don't know. _

_No. I won't._

Turning from his chess match with Bella, Edward looked at me, not hiding his disappointment. He stood, stared at me for a second, and then walked with purpose toward Scott and me. Panic welled up in my gut.

_Don't you dare, Edward Cullen!_

By the time I finished that thought, he was sitting on the piano bench.

_You wouldn't!_

He would. The first notes of Claire de Lune filled the room. I had to get out of there.

"Scott, let's go." I pulled on his hand.

Of course, Scott hadn't missed a thing. That man was far too observant for my liking at that moment.

With a pointed look, he pulled me to the sofa. "I think we'll sit here for a while."

"I really want–"

"Shhh," Scott interrupted me. "I'm listening."

I tried not to listen, but the notes seeped deeply into me without my permission. It didn't take long for the music to begin to do its thing…

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

8.24.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Vamptastic thanks to my PTB betas **SqueakyZorro** and **EvilPumpkin**. I can't say enough to express how much they have helped me. This chapter turned out to be pretty long. The following chapters will be back to normal length. Thanks for reading!

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Also, the outtake I donated is posted at the end of this story.

~MA


	12. Facing the Music

12

Facing the Music

_The music box— _Jasper would get it; the box was coming_._ I was calm.

_Her face—"You must not tell anyone. It's important." _ A wisp of fear curled around me.

_A locked door—I must get in—someone in there needs me! _The panic swelled.

_Betrayal–anger…no, not anger—hatred. _

"_I gave it, I got it, I deserve it."_

_Pain…in my head…burning. _

"No! Stop!"

When I finally came to myself, Scott's arms were around me, and the only sound I heard was my sobbing.

"This has to end, love. Please, let me in." Scott's whisper broke my silent heart.

I curled into his arms, trying to hide. My family surrounded me; their concerned gazes felt smothering. It was out of love, I knew it, but I didn't want to face them.

Edward touched my shoulder. "Diane, I'm so sorry. I thought it would help…if Scott was here, with you, when–" I pulled away from his contact and let out a hiss. He deserved it.

Removing his hand and ignoring my warning, he pressed on. "Perhaps it would be easier if I told him."

My husband's arms tightened around me. "No! I've told you before. I want to hear it from her."

"Scott, I'm only trying to help."

Pressed against his chest, I could feel Scott's growl before it tore through the air. When I flinched at the volume, it cut off.

"You're a mind reader, Edward. I get it. You know exactly what's going on. Well, good for you. However, this is my wife_._ This isn't just about knowing what's going on. It's about her telling me because she _wants_ to and us talking about it. Just the two of us. Without interference."

"My apologies." I heard Edward back away, and the room went quiet.

Carlisle broke the silence with a gentle tone. "Perhaps you should take her where you can talk privately."

Scott held me as he rose. Cradling me, he ran, and I kept my eyes closed until I felt him stop. He set me down gently and gave me a moment to pull myself together.

Looking around, I groaned. There we were, back at the rock. This boulder seemed to be our crucible. A place where our marriage was to be refined in the fires of anger and disagreement…fitting.

My conscience mocked me. _Refined or destroyed? _ _You seem to be doing your best to do the latter._

I didn't want to talk here. "Can we please go inside?"

Without a word, he turned toward our house. A knot formed in my stomach. Scott's patience had reached its limit and I had pushed him there. The fear of telling him and the fear of angering him warred for dominance.

Once we entered our library, he took my hands tightly in his and squared his shoulders. "Diane, I've had enough. I want to know what's going on—all of it—and I want to know _right _now."

Meeting his dark gaze froze me—I knew that look. Diversions, pleading, silence…none of my tactics for avoiding this were going to work. _Feeling cornered stinks._ Who was I kidding? I'd brought this on myself, and now I was going to have to deal with it. Realization of my predicament crept over me, and I tried to take a step back.

Scott's hands wouldn't budge. "I'm not letting go until I get some answers."

"I hate when you do stuff like this." My best glare didn't even faze him.

"You hate when I do stuff like this because you know you'll have to come clean. I hate that I _have_ to do stuff like this to get my own wife to talk to me."

My eyes went to the ground. "We're just going to end up yelling." Try as I might, I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice. "Been that way for a while."

"_Now_ you want to talk about the other stuff? From our last fight? Look, I know I never let you finish what you were trying to say, but this isn't about that. You need to tell me what's been going on every time you hear that song."

Glaring didn't work, so I decided to give sarcasm a try. "I think it's best if we finish one fight before beginning another."

"You're stalling again." He huffed at the ceiling. "Fine. Tell me what you didn't get to say before. I'll listen."

I eyed him skeptically.

"Diane, please, tell me what you were trying to say before. I'll let you get it all out this time."

"When we were human and you left–"

"We've been over this. I had to go."

"Let me finish," I growled. He shrugged in apology, so I took a deep breath and continued in my normal tone. "When I mention you leaving, I'm not trying to throw it at you. Just listen, okay?" He nodded and I tried again. "While you were gone—it was hard, but knowing that you trusted me to take care of things, it felt good. Now it feels like you don't trust me to even take care of myself."

"The fighting lesson," Scott said softly, his grip loosening slightly. "Surely, after that, you understand."

"Yeah, I do now, I guess," I admitted. "I'm still trying to get used to everything, you know? Look, I don't remember everything from our old lives clearly. I think that over the years, we just got busy with life. Work, children—we put our relationship on the back burner. Due to our circumstances, we learned to live apart, so we lost some of our spark. Now we have eternity together, and we need to get it back."

His gaze softened—at least I had his attention. "Okay, I get all that, and you're right. We both need to make an effort to get closer. But part of that involves sharing _everything_. So that means you need to start talking about what's been going on. Ever since you saw that picture of Yani, something has been bothering you a lot. I'm your husband. I _deserve_ to know."

How the hell was I supposed to explain? I drew in a deep breath and blew out slowly—it helped. Vampire or not, some things about me would never change.

"Scott, there's something in my head. I can't figure it out. I'm trying to, but it's something bad, very bad. And…well…I don't want you to know what it is yet. Just let me figure it out on my own. Why is that so hard for you?"

Scott jerked his head as if my words actually hit him in the face. Shoving my hands from his, he stepped back. "Why is it hard for me? You're standing there, telling me that I don't love you enough to accept whatever is in your past!"

His jaw clenched and his words came out low and with barely controlled anger. "You expect me to watch you go into—whatever it is—this…trance and watch the pain cross your face, hear you cry out…and you expect me to do _nothing_? How can you even ask that of me?"

Not good. Not good at all.

He wasn't getting what I was trying to say. Taking a step forward, I reached out. He stopped me in my tracks when he snapped his hand up, palm out. Fine, I would try again from where I stood.

"Scott, I'm not saying that you don't love me. You've never given me a reason to doubt your faithfulness or your love."

He crossed his arms silently and glared.

My eyes fell to the floor again. "I _know_ you love me. I just have to deal with this…on my own." He sucked in a gasp, but I was too much of a coward to look at him, so I kept going. "I love you, Scott. I really do. You're the only one for me, and I want to be with you forever. But this…"

My words failed me after that. When I looked at him, the sadness I saw pierced through me.

"Then let me in. Diane, please, let me in."

He was begging me—_literally_—and I couldn't find the strength to overcome the fear.

"I can't."

His face went blank. "I don't know what else to say. I've had enough rejection—I won't ask again." Then he turned around and walked out. I didn't fully understand what was happening until I heard the front door open and then close.

Racing to the window, I watched him leap over the river with Emmett and Jasper.

Wait. Jasper was back? Had he found the box?

_Guess I won't know anytime soon._

Great. Jasper had probably felt everything from our fight and came to defend his brother. Now they were going to have a bitch-fest about what a shrew I was. Hell, I probably deserved it. Falling back onto the window seat, I let out a huff. Well, I could just have my own little gripe-session too.

_Shrew, party of one. Let the pity party begin. _

My eyes closed against the harsh reality. When had everything gone wrong? Okay, _everything_ wasn't wrong. Scott did still love me, after all. He was willing to help me when he didn't even know what the problem was.

I scoffed. _I_ didn't even know what was wrong. What if I had been an ax murderer, or a thief? Unknown shadows were leering in my past—in my mind—I wanted to figure them out _before_ I confided in anyone.

Still, I had to admit, Scott had been very patient. The distance between us was growing—a little more each day. We'd been married for twenty years before becoming vampires! That said a lot about us, right?

_So what the hell is your problem?_ I demanded of myself. _Why can't you just tell him? You're pushing him away. He's not going to be able to take much more!_

My inner voice was harsh, but right. In order to escape it, I tried not to think at all.

A knock at the door ended my non-thoughts. Looking out the window, I let out a sigh. Edward was the last person I wanted to talk to, but there he was. After taking my time to get there, I opened the door.

"I think I should be insulted by that," he said with false irritation. It really wasn't wise of him to try to be funny with me when I was upset.

"You know that people can't help what pops into their head, right?" I continued, not giving him a chance to answer. "Besides, as someone on the male side of the family, you probably don't like me right now, anyway."

"Now I _know_ I should be insulted," he retorted. "I will have you know that I have no desire to get in the middle of your marital turmoil."

"Sorry," I murmured. "I'm just…"

"Sitting alone, berating yourself?"

"Well, Mr. Mind Reader, you would know."

He crossed his arms and titled his head. "Yes, I know that's exactly what you're doing. However, I also know that it won't solve anything; trust me. I'll say it yet again: tell him everything."

Feeling like a grumpy toddler, I shrugged silently.

With a scowl at my petulant behavior, Edward informed me that he and his brothers, including my husband, were leaving on a two-day hunting trip. Scott had asked him to tell me, so I wouldn't worry. A little time to think and sort through my thoughts _sounded_ okay… After making his good bye, Edward left in the same direction as his brothers.

Standing there in the doorway I sighed. What was I _really_ going to do for two days? As if on cue, Alice was suddenly before me. Giving me a half smile, she put her arm around my shoulders in a very sisterly gesture. "Let's go hunt," she suggested. Seeing my face, she guessed my thoughts and added, "Don't worry. We won't bump into the guys. They went pretty far off."

We had a good hunt. Alice didn't try to talk to me about what had happened, and I appreciated the silence that let me focus on my prey. We came across a herd of deer and drank our fill. I asked her if Jasper had given her anything for me. She just told me I would have to wait and talk to him. Dawn had broken by the time we made it back. I expected for Alice to say goodbye at my front door, but she had other plans.

"Girl time!" she announced. "Don't just stand there! If the guys can have a party, so can we. Change your clothes. We're going shopping, sister."

"Sh-Shopping? Alice, I can't go shopping. Carlisle said it's too soon for me to be around humans."

Alice followed me down the hall to the bedroom. She plopped herself into the chair as I went into the masterpiece that was our closet. "I know that, silly. But, shop we will. Trust me. Just get dressed to impress. Something girly and fun."

Sticking my head out, I decided to make her day. "You know you want to come in here and dress me, so just do it already."

With a squeal, Alice flew into the closet and quickly tossed her selections on the dressing table. "Okay, you put these on, and hurry up. Can I do your hair, too?"

How could I say no? Would she even listen to me if I did? Thirty minutes later, I was dressed and primped to the satisfaction of my favorite fashionista. It wasn't until after we were walking to the main house that I started to worry.

"Alice, are we sneaking out? If we get caught, Carlisle will be angry, and I don't think I want to risk making Scott even more furious with me." I kicked a small rock.

Alice laughed. "No way! You're not ready for that. When you are, we'll have our girl time in the big city of Seattle. For now, we decided to bring the mall to you." With that, she led me into the house.

My jaw dropped.

How had they done it? The living room was filled with racks of clothes and mannequins dressed exquisitely. Everything had been arranged to look like one of those posh boutiques I always walked past because I knew I couldn't afford a thing they had.

"Wow! This is incredible! You did this for me? How?"

Alice shot me a mischievous grin. "A shop in Seattle was going out of business. So I bought everything they had! Whatever we don't want will be donated."

The rest of the Cullen girls came down the stairs wearing big smiles. "What do you think?" Esme asked. "It's a bit much, really, but when Alice gets an idea into her head, there's no stopping her."

Renesmee bounced up and down next to her mother. "Are there pretty clothes for me to try on, too?"

"Of course there are," Alice beamed as she lifted her niece into the air. "Girl time is for big girls and little girls alike!"

Suddenly Alice froze as her eyes unfocused. We all stilled until her vision passed.

"More flashes." Alice told us in a bored tone. "They make no sense. Just more flashes of all of us, but nothing to tell me what's happening." She shrugged. "Let's shop!"

The entire day was spent in our "mall." We tried on clothes and modeled them for each other. We clapped and cheered for little Renesmee when she stood on a table and showed us her latest selection. Thanks to Alice, none of us needed new clothes. This was more about bonding as a family and getting some guy-free time.

The kitchen table became our nail salon. We painted each other's nails with all kinds of colors. Rose went for a glittering red. Bella painted her daughter's a pale pink. A sparkling, deep purple was my choice. Giggles erupted regularly. We managed to keep the polish on our nails and off of the table or floor, much to Esme's satisfaction.

Not wanting to leave any part of the mall experience out, Alice even supplied us with shopping bags for our "purchases". Of course, we each chose one of our new outfits to change into before we settled down to watch a movie. Renesmee fell asleep in Rose's arms before the opening credits were finished.

The giddiness of the day wore off as the light faded. We moved to the sofa and chairs after the movie ended. Somehow, I knew the main purpose of our time together was about to unfold.

"Diane, dear," Esme began softly, "we don't mean to pry, but it seems you and Scott are having some trouble." I groaned. This was going to get very uncomfortable, very fast.

"Being married to a vampire is not easy," Bella added. "Since we know that from experience, we want to help. Please, don't be embarrassed."

Rosalie played with a strand of her golden locks. "Not to mention, you have added stuff because you changed together. So not only are you dealing with your own newborn emotional madness, but you're dealing with being married to a newborn at the same time. Now, on top of that, you're dealing with…other issues."

Expectant faces made it clear—like it or not, we were going to talk about this. So, I took a deep breath and plunged in.

"First off, I just need to say I love Scott. When I say love, I don't mean just a little. I love him to the point of pain, okay?" They all just nodded, so I went on like a mad woman. "It's just that this is all so much. Good grief, we're _vampires_ now! Before the crash, we had the children and our jobs and our lives, and I never had enough time with him, ya know?" Not giving any of them a second to answer, I rushed on.

"It just seems like we don't really know each other like we used to, and now he's growling and all protective and thinks I can't even take care of myself, even though I can take down a bear. A _bear_! Half of the time I want to slap him, and the other half of the time I want to lock him in the bedroom and throw him on the bed and–"

"Stop right there!" Rosalie raised her hand. "It's bad enough that we all hear each other. I don't need a play-by-play." Seeing my pained expression, she softened her voice. "Diane, you've both been through a lot. Just adapting to this new life is huge."

Esme patted my knee. "Remember that you were married long before your change. You know you belong together. You just need more time to smooth things out."

"It's just that he's so…so…." My words cut off as I let my head fall back on the sofa.

"Protective like Edward," Bella offered.

"A take-charge soldier, like Jasper," Alice added.

"Will not back down, like Carlisle," Esme put in.

Rosalie held up her hands. "Don't look at me. He likes to play video games like Emmett, but that's not exactly going to help, is it?"

We all dissolved into fits of giggles. After the laughter died down, they decided to set me straight on one more thing.

Esme put her arm around me. "Diane, we don't pretend to know what is going on, but whatever it is, talk to Scott. Then, after you tell him, talk to us. We all love you, and nothing in your past can scare us off. You already know our pasts, right? If what you know about us doesn't make you want to run for the hills, then what makes you think we'd abandon you?"

I started to answer when Alice waved her arms. "Enough with the heavy! Let's get back to the fun. Oh! I bought strawberry-scented panties for all of us. We each need to take turns hiding in the woods and see whose guy finds his wife the fastest."

"Does it count if I put mine on a bear?" Rose asked with a gleam in her eye.

Alice grinned wickedly. "Hmm. How about a squirrel? Wonder how many trees Jazz would climb before he figured it out?"

"That would be so mean," Esme added in mock disgust.

Bella smirked. "But it sure would be funny."

The thought of our men running around the forest in search of strawberry-scented animals kept us laughing and chased the last bit of trouble out of my mind. Yep, girl time was just what I needed.

We sat and talked until the sun came up. Our chit-chat ended when Renesmee awoke and asked for her breakfast. While Bella was tending to that, the rest of us cleaned up the "mall" and put the room back in order. Then we split up to take our new clothes to our rooms and change for the day. We agreed to meet back at my house. Esme was smiling about something, but I didn't ask.

Before long, we Cullen girls were seated in my sitting room. I eyed the books and boxes that surrounded Esme cautiously.

"Esme, what is all that?" As if I didn't already know.

She smiled and looked around the room. "Well, it has been so very long since this house has been updated. I thought if you just let me show you some of my ideas…"

"You have done enough already," I countered.

Bella laughed. "Don't ruin her fun, Diane. She really enjoys decorating and has had nothing to do since she finished our cottage."

Looking at what was now the closest person I had to a mother, I should've known it was a lost cause to try and stop her.

Sighing in resignation, I gave in. "Okay. The only thing I ask is that you leave the library alone. It's perfect as is." Esme eagerly agreed and began pulling out fabric and paint samples.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Color choices were made within the first thirty minutes. Rosalie left and was back with paint quickly. Moving at vampire speed, we had the house empty and painted in no time. Who needs men when you have lady vampires? Not us apparently. It was a joy to find that we all worked together very well.

Esme never once considered not getting her way with our house and had, in fact, already ordered new furniture. Knowing the pieces that I had admired in her home, she had my taste well pegged. The delivery van arrived very early the next morning, and everything was moved in within two hours. Rosalie and Bella took me to hunt—we didn't want to chance me draining the delivery men. When we returned, Esme and Alice bemoaned how slowly the men moved. Once they left, things were rearranged to Esme's satisfaction.

Coming back from the hunt, I found all the new furniture in place.

"Happy Housewarming!" Esme and Alice called out as I entered the front door.

"This wasn't exactly the party we had in mind, but I am quite pleased." Esme beamed with pride as her eyes appraised our work.

"Thank you. It's beautiful." I hugged her and all of my new sisters in turn.

Alice took my hand and led me back to the bedroom. "Jazz called. The guys will be back soon. You need to get cleaned up, so we're going to go now. You two take your time looking at everything." I started to ask, but she stopped me with a hug. "You haven't decided, so I can't see. Oh! He'll be here soon, hurry!" Without another word, she was out the door.

I showered and put on clean clothes. While getting dressed, I notice Alice had taken it upon herself to make several additions to our wardrobe. Guess she thought the things I got at the "mall" weren't enough.

Crazy shopaholic vampire!

Now dressed, I grew nervous and began to pace. Scott would be here soon. We needed to talk, really talk. The time for me to tell him everything had come—no turning back. As soon as the decision was made, the fear stilled my steps and my dead heart clenched. Could I do this?

A knock on the door snapped me out of my struggle. Was Scott so angry he would knock? I flew to the door determined to make it all up to him.

"Jasper?"

He was less than thrilled to see me and didn't try to hide his anger. With a scowl, he shoved a bag into my hands. "After the state you had him in, you're lucky to be gettin' this at all. Now I've kept my end of the bargain. It's time you kept yours."

"Thank you, Jasper."

The scowl was joined by a pointing finger. "You want to thank me? Fix this mess between you two. I mean it."

"I plan to."

His eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"That's been my plan for a while. I've even tried a couple of times. But every time I try to tell him, I feel that consuming fear. I'm scared."

Jasper's face and voice softened. "Now you listen to me. You've got a man that loves you and a family that would do anything for you. You know that."

I nodded.

"Whatever's in your past doesn't matter. It won't change a thing in Scott's eyes, or in ours."

"Thanks, Jasper."

A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "You want me to hide out in the closet and smother the two of you in calm, so you can talk…and then maybe somethin' else…when you're done talkin'?"

"Go home to your wife!" I gave him a gentle shove. "Go!"

"Don't have to tell me twice. See you later."

After he left, I spotted Scott on the other side of the river. He bounded over the water and made his way to the door.

Stopping short of the doorway, he looked down and kicked the dirt. "May I come in?"

"This is your home as much as mine. You don't need to ask." He met my eyes and rewarded me with a small smile. "Why don't you clean up? We need to talk."

He reached out, grasped a lock of my hair, and let it slide between his fingers. "You're stealing my line."

My gaze fell. "I'm sorry you've had to say it so often."

With a gentle touch, he placed a finger under my chin, and lifted my face to his. "You're ready to tell me? Are you sure?"

"You'll have to help me."

"Always," he promised.

The passing of a mere fifteen minutes found a freshly showered Scott and I reclining on our bed. He listened intently while I told him all about my trip to the "Cullen mall" and how the house was redecorated—I promised him a tour later. He told me all about his hunt and the massive mud wrestling match he and his brothers had. We laughed at every silly thing Emmett did. I appreciated the fact that he was doing what he could to get me to relax. His story over, twelve seconds of silence ticked by as I wondered, again, if I could really share it all.

"Whenever you're ready," he encouraged.

Drawing a deep breath, I did my best to explain the all-consuming, irrational fear I felt each time I tried to talk about the memories. I asked him to be patient and made him promise to shake me out of any more memories trying to come to me immediately. I had enough to explain without anything new.

Starting with the day I had seen Yani's photo, I tried to describe the feelings, pictures, and words that had haunted me. Several times I had to stop as I pushed through the fear, often shaking and sobbing. These were the times when Scott would hold me and whisper assurances of his love and that he would stay with me.

His face stayed calm and I told him everything. His understanding of what I experienced wasn't any better than mine. Except for what I saved to tell him last, I didn't know much at all.

"There's one last thing—please promise me you won't get upset." He agreed, and I told him about my flashes of the music box and how that, though my memories, learned that the music box was real.

"Why would I be mad about that?" Scott asked.

"Well, I went to Jasper…" I began. Scott's eyes flashed briefly in anger, but cooled back to calm by the time I finished telling him the details of Japer's recon mission.

"Well, I can't hold it against him. He had your word you'd tell me before he agreed to go get it, so I guess it's okay."

I nodded and breathed out in relief. At this point, I couldn't take much more fighting.

"So is the music box in that bag he just gave you?"

"Yeah, I haven't looked at it yet. I wanted to wait for you."

My hand reached for the bag at the foot of the bed.

Scott stilled it. "Diane, wait."

The look on his face shocked me—pain and love rolled into one. "You've been dealing with so much on your own. Please, don't ever do that again. I'm your husband. I know you don't like to hear me say it's my job to protect you, but that's the way I feel about it. There was no way for me to protect you from this. That's hard for me to admit, but I'll gladly _share_ the burden with you. We'll find out what it all means together."

"I'm not sure I want to know—or want _you_ to know. The worst part is that neither of us remembers any of this. Don't you see what that means? I _never_ told you."

"Whatever it is, we'll face it together, and nothing in your past can change my feelings for you." He jerked his chin toward the bag. "Let's take a look at this music box."

My hands trembled a bit as I pulled the zipper back to reveal the towel-wrapped box inside. Jasper's scent wafted from the towel as I lifted the package and set it between us. Slowly, I pulled the first fold of the cloth away. The glimpse of wood seemed surreal. Finally, I had something—something real—that might help me figure out this mess. When the last fold of cloth fell to the bed, I took my first look at the box with my new eyes.

Made of a dark, polished wood, the music box was a perfect three-inch cube. The top had a carving of a rose in full bloom, so full of detail, each petal outlined with such care, it could only be the work of a master. The lid was half an inch thick. The graceful vine that was carved into the lip traveled the entire way around.

Carefully keeping my strength in check, I began to slowly lift the lid. Before I had it halfway up, we both froze. The scent was unknown to us, but it definitely belonged to a vampire.

"We have to let Carlisle know about this, Diane."

Hanging my head, I struggled to accept his words. I didn't want to. Telling Carlisle meant telling them all. Scott ran his hand down my back, and I looked at him. I had pushed past the fear and told him everything. Despite it all, there he sat, ready to face whatever lurked in the shadows with me.

Weakly nodding, I agreed. "If you think that's the best move, then we'll do it." The look of relief on his face spoke volumes.

We walked to the main house at a human pace. I needed the time to settle my nerves. All this time, hiding these—memories…visions…flashbacks—whatever they were, and now I was about to be an open book. My thoughts were like a ping pong match in my head.

_No, I can't tell them._

_Yes, I need to._

_No!_

_Yes!_

Looking down as we crossed the threshold, I braced myself for nine pairs of eyes…

There were only two—Jasper and Alice sat on the sofa, expecting our arrival. Leave it to Alice.

"Diane, you're changing your mind so fast that I feel a headache coming on." Alice rubbed her head to prove her point.

Jasper looked at the rewrapped package in my hand and gave me an approving nod. "'Bout time. Now maybe I can get some peace. Have you opened it yet?"

Sitting next to Alice, I placed it on the coffee table. "We started to, but then we found a vampire scent so we brought it here. Where is everyone?"

Alice patted my knee. "Carlisle is at the hospital. I called him once you decided to tell us about the music box. He thought it would be best if everyone else left for a while. He'll be here soon."

"_Scott?"_ He looked at me expectantly. _"I want to get this over with and not have to tell the story over and over again. You okay with that?"_

He squeezed my hand. _"If that's what you want to do, I'm fine with it."_

"Actually Alice, it's probably best just to get this all out in the open. Can you call him back and tell him I want everyone here?"

The phone was at her ear. "Already on it."

I reached out, carefully pulled back all the fabric, and lifted the lid for only five seconds before closing it. Instinctively, our nostrils flared as we pulled in the vampire's scent.

"That's Yani all right," Jasper murmured.

Scott let out a low snarl that suddenly cut off. "Sorry. The other scent. It's human. I—I couldn't help myself."

"That's your wife's human scent," Jasper said.

Scott looked at me—his eyes had gone black. "Good thing we transformed together. Your human scent is, well, delicious."

Jasper shook his head. "We've already done the 'vampire loves a fragile human' thing, as you well know. Don't think I could handle another round of that. Your drama over…" He waved his hand at the box. "…all this, is enough."

His words barely registered as I finally lifted lid completely, and found the purple satin-lined box empty—how disappointing. Yani's scent was stronger inside, as was my human one. Sniffing again, I didn't see what Scott got so worked up about. My human scent wasn't that great.

The inside space was divided into two equal compartments. The music movement filled the back one. Rather than sticking out of the wall of the box, the movement was top winding—the key stuck out of the top of the movement itself. The design allowed the key to be protected inside of the box—clever. I brushed it with my finger, but afraid of triggering another memory, I didn't turn it.

Three stuffed rolls of velvet filled the front compartment. Seeing the two deep crevices the folds created, I knew what they were designed for.

"Ring holders," I said softly. Gently closing the lid, I resumed my examination.

Lightly touching the corner, I turned the box slowly. The only other decoration gracing the exterior was on the front; two long ovals, one above the other, separated by a single black stone. The top oval contained an inlay of a lion, while the bottom held one of a lamb. Such delicate work!

Only then did I see the very thin space that outlined the bottom oval. "I never noticed that before. I guess I couldn't see it with human eyes."

Extending a single finger, I reached out and pressed the lamb inlay. With a soft click, it sprang forward, revealing a small, hidden drawer. Even more surprising was the vampire scent that rose from it.

I stated the obvious as I sniffed the empty hidden drawer again. "That's not Yani."

"No, but I've smelled that vampire before," Jasper said. His brow furrowed. "Trouble is, I don't know who it belongs to."

Alice froze as a piece of the future flashed before her mind's eye. When it passed, she gave her mate a little nudge with her shoulder. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Wasn't important. I just figured one of our guests needed some personal space. Besides, sugar, I _am_ tellin' you now—now that it's important. Since _you_ already know, you mind me telling _them_?"

With a smile and a wave of her hand, she told him to go on with his explanation.

"You already know about our little visit from the Volturi last year."

We knew the whole story in detail. Jasper and a few of the others had told us. Just the mention of the Volturi made me want to growl and run at the same time. They had come last year to destroy our family.

"Back when all those vampires were stayin' here, we were gone. We didn't know half of them. When we did come back, everyone was in the big clearing and only a fraction of them stuck around. When we finally got inside, the house was full of scents we didn't know, and we never met the vampires they belonged to."

Scott leaned closer to the tiny drawer and sniffed. "You're sure this was one of them?"

"Absolutely. I found it isolated in another room of the house."

"Which room?" Scott asked.

Carlisle sat beside me. His silent entry would have startled a human. "The attic."

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

8.24.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

What would I do without my lovely betas? I just don't know, and I can't even think about it because it just makes me too sad. Thanks again ladies!

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Please take a minute or two to leave a review! Tell me what you liked. Hey, you can even tell me what you don't like. I'm a big girl. I can take it. ;)

**Shameless bribe:** Anyone who leaves a review will be sent a teaser for the next chapter.

**Question: **I have decided to write another outtake of NWB and will donate it to Fandom for Leukemia. So, my readers, what would you like this outtake to be about? Is there a chapter you would like to see from another POV? Perhaps someone leaves and you want to know what they were up to? I am completely open to suggestions.

~MA


	13. Boxes

13

Boxes

Full of boxes and trunks, the attic stood in stark contrast to the rest of the Cullen home. Knowing the collective past of the family and the years their lifetimes had spanned, I wondered what treasures were in that upper room. _Control the newborn scatterbrain, Diane. Now's not the time._

The scent that wasn't Yani's still hung faintly in the air. Scents were like fingerprints to vampires; each identifies a single individual. The problem for me was that I didn't have a face to go with this scent. I knew my observation was obvious, but the silence was irritating. "Matches the scent in the box."

"Alistair spent most of his time up here," Carlisle mused as he walked the length of the room. His eyes seemed to take in various objects that stirred memories as he passed. A few times a brief smile crossed his face, and my curiosity sparked again.

Scott asked, "Alistair? What kind of name is that?"

Carlisle chuckled as he made his way back. "An old name, but don't be so quick to laugh. In a hundred years _Scott_ may be an old name. Would you change it?" Scott's silence was answer enough, and I bit back my giggle. "My friend is a bit of a hermit and prefers to be alone. Trust is difficult for him, you see, especially in regards to any type of authority."

"He came when _you_ asked him to," Alice reminded.

eCarlisle looked down. "He also left before anything happened."

Slowly shaking his head, Jasper mused, "I never understood why he turned tail like that."

"Don't judge him too harshly, son," Carlisle replied gently. "The events surrounding his change affected him greatly." Sadness came over his face. "Even at over 700 years old, he has always been wary of any kind of friendship. His very nature shuns emotional attachment. I track him down every few decades, just to check on him. I haven't seen him since last year. What little trust he had in me was lost then; I'm sure of it. He probably won't allow me to find him again."

Jasper shoved his hands in his pockets. "What I want to know is why both of their scents were on that box and why Diane had it."

Stepping in front of me, Carlisle agreed, "That _is_ a good question. Diane, I think it is time to share your burden with us. Let us help."

As much as I wanted to refuse him, the gentle tone of his voice made it almost impossible. Scott put his arm around me, supporting me, letting me know he was there. The combination of Scott's love and my sire's compassion broke down what was left of the resistance that had crept up on me since I agreed to talk to everyone.

"Let's wait for everyone to arrive. I only want to tell the story—what little there is to tell—once more."

Carlisle nodded and left the attic with all of us following. We made small talk until the rest of the family joined us in the living room. Edward and Bella came fairly quickly after dropping off Renesmee with Bella's father. Smelling the human on her, I swallowed the extra venom that suddenly filled my mouth. Would I never get the reflex under control? At least the urge to pounce on her had dwindled away. Edward sent me a sympathetic glance. Silently reprimanding myself, I shook my head. I was a bit jealous that Bella still had ties to her human father, but I would never tell her that.

Emmett and Rose made us wait. When they came in the back door, wearing leaves and twigs in their hair, we all knew why.

"What?" Emmett asked as we stared in disbelief. "Some things just can't be rushed."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Give us two minutes and we'll get cleaned up."

"Only two minutes? Then you'd better take separate showers," Jasper called out after them.

Emmett only laughed, so Jasper decided to play hardball.

"I mean it, Emmett. If I feel so much as a twitch of lust, I'll make you sorry—and you know I can."

Emmett's laughter cut off and he trudged off to the guest bathroom in a huff.

Faster than I was ready, everyone was seated, looking at me expectantly. Taking Scott's hand, I pushed back the fear for the second time, and told all I knew. Retelling everything was a little easier than I expected; having Scott with me made all the difference. Seeing their reactions as I unloaded my secrets caught me off guard. Of course, I knew Edward wouldn't be surprised. I had prepared myself for shock or disgust from everyone else, perhaps a questioning of my sanity. However, they _all_ sat as calmly as Edward did and simply listened.

Jasper flinched a time or two, but I remembered that he was sharing the emotions running through me, not to mention probably reliving what he'd felt from me when he happened to be present for one of my little "trips." My episodes must have been hard on him. I wondered why he even stayed around me.

When I finished, I leaned against my mate, mentally tired. "That's all I know, so far. It's been a few days since any more…_stuff_ has come to me. I've been avoiding anything that might trigger them."

Carlisle took over then. "These appear to be genuine memories, Diane. You remembered the music box and there it sits." He sat next to me and placed his hand on mine. "However, I think it's time you put more effort into trying to remember."

Shaking my head quickly, I curled into Scott. "No, I don't want to. You don't understand what it's like!"

"Whoa there." Jasper held up a hand. "You're not goin' to do this alone. First off, you have Scott. He can rouse you if it gets to be too much. Next, you have me. I should be able to keep it from gettin' too bad."

Scott squeezed me tighter and spoke softly in my ear, "Hon, you won't be free until we get this figured out. Remember what I told you. No matter what it is, I'm here. Nothing will change my love for you, _nothing_."

He was right—they all were. Plucking up every scrap of courage I had, I nodded my head. "Okay, where do we start?"

Edward pointed at the music box. "I suggest we start with that."

"Seems logical," Carlisle agreed.

"Has anyone else figured out what the box is?" Emmett gave his brother a shove. "Why don't you impress us with your genius, Ed? Tell us what _you_ think about the box." His tone was smug, as if he knew something the rest of us missed.

After sending a warning glare to his brother —everyone knew any kind of nickname riled him—Edward explained. "That's easy. It appears to be a ring-safe."

"A what?" I asked.

Gesturing to the box, he explained, "A box especially designed to hold a couple's wedding rings. Sometimes married vampires have to pose as brother and sister or something like that, and they can't wear their rings. A ring safe is a special place for them to be kept."

Emmett jabbed Edward in the ribs. "Or in case you're getting a bit too wild…"

"Stop with the mental pictures already! We all get it." Edward shook his head.

"Sometimes Rosie and I just put 'em on a rock."

Alice threw her hands up. "Classy, Em."

_Wait…rings…rings?_ A dim human memory played in my head. A sweet one. I wore my aunt's dress. Scott wore his Dress Blues. He looked so handsome—my Marine. The look on his face when I walked down the aisle… I told myself I never would forget that day, and I almost had.

Edward smiled. "Now you'll have it for eternity. Keep reliving it. The more often you do, the more complete, and set, the memory will become."

I nodded in response but did not want to be distracted. "What happened to _our_ rings?"

Carlisle smiled. "We put them in the vault. With your newborn strength, you could have easily ruined them. We had planned to return them to you at the end of your first year."

Our rings, something we could keep from our human years. Diamonds and gold: strong enough to last for decades, yet vulnerable to vampire strength.

Squeezing my hand, Scott spoke for both of us, "Thank you for protecting them."

Esme opened the lid. "This is quiet elaborate for a ring-safe, so beautiful. The inlay work is extremely intricate. This is not new, but it's not an antique either. I don't recognize the style and there's no craftsman's mark." With her passion for interior design, the family respected her knowledge of such things.

Rubbing his chin in deep thought Emmett murmured, "It's the work of a master. Made of mountain mahogany—an ironwood—nice."

Jasper scoffed. "Ironwood? Never heard of such a thing, you makin' that up?"

With a sniff, he surprised us. "Ironwoods are the hardest of woods, I'll have you know. This wood's so heavy the box would actually sink in water. The wood fiber cells in ironwoods are long, tightly-packed, and heavily lignified."

"You tell 'em, baby." Rose flipped her hair. "My man knows what he's talking about when it comes to this stuff."

My shock must have clearly shown on my face, because Emmett looked at me and shrugged. "Woodworking's a hobby of mine. I don't do it often, but when I do, I like to use the best stuff. I've worked with mountain mahogany before."

"Where did you get it? Does the tree grow around here?" Edward asked.

With a snort he answered, "Duh! Internet—you can buy anything online nowadays." Taking an air of superiority, he educated us. "You can't just break off a branch and make something out of it. Last time I bought a block of mountain mahogany, it had been air-dried for four years. I'm not that patient, so I just order it."

Alice waved her hands in the air. "Okay, okay, it's like a Coach purse, but in the world of wood. Good stuff. We get it." She huffed. "But what does it have to do with _Diane_?"

I'd been wondering that myself, but found the facts about the box fascinating. "Do you think the lion and lamb means anything?"

Alice shot me a glare that I ignored.

Bella giggled. "We can shed some light on that." She patted her mate's hand. "It's a romantic reference." All of our blank faces merely blinked at her. "You know, the lion fell in love with the lamb…" She giggled again. "Guess we're not all that original."

Edward leaned his elbows onto his knees. "This box gets more intriguing by the minute."

Picking up the object, Emmett peered at the inlay. He turned the box slightly one way then the other, all the while studying the lion and the lamb. Then he ran his hand over the surface. Opening the box, he examined every inch of the interior. "Beautiful. The work is flawless; I'd bet a thousand bucks it was made by a vampire."

Realizing they had missed it, I silently reached over and pushed on the lamb. The soft click captured everyone's attention. Nostrils around the room flared as they pulled in the scent.

"Alistair?" Edward asked. "Definitely more intriguing by the minute."

"Alistair and Yani?" Rose looked shocked. "Wow."

Carlisle chuckled and waved his finger. "I would bet _two_ thousand dollars against that." He chuckled again. "Alistair has always been one to keep completely to himself. You saw how he was last year. Seeing the beauty of his work, it seems he has a hidden talent."

"But what does it have to do with _Diane_?!" Alice shouted.

We all were surprised to find my sister on her feet. "She's been dealing with all of this for months!"

"Alice, it's okay," I offered gently.

Her eyes flashed when she shot back, "No, Diane, it's _not_ okay." She turned her glare to the rest of the family. "She finally has something, something real, and all everyone can talk about is how it's _made_ and how _nice_ it is. Meanwhile, no one has decided to do anything that will help Diane figure out how this fits in her past!"

Calm washed over me. Obviously, everyone felt it because all eyes went to Jasper. Alice sat back down and smacked him. "Stop that!"

Putting his arms around her, he drawled, "Darlin', I know why this has you so worked up. Your past stayed hidden for a long time and most of it still is." Alice started to turn away, and Jasper lifted her chin with his finger. The gesture was filled with so much love, I almost looked away. "You're just trying to help her, but so are we. Just you settle down a bit. We'll figure it out."

Sighing, she snuggled close. "I'm sorry. I want it so badly for her. Not knowing stinks."

"Thank you, Alice," I whispered. "I'm just not sure I really want to know."

Esme steered the conversation back to the box. "Dear, do you really think Alistair made this?"

"That appears to be the case," Carlisle answered. "He's so reclusive; he would only have made something so beautiful for a friend. To be honest, I thought I was the only friend he had. Apparently, I was mistaken." He rubbed his chin slowly. "I wonder if we should track him down and ask him who he made it for. Actually, I'm not sure he would tell us even if we could find him."

Alice sat bolt upright. "Decide, Carlisle. Please, decide to find him."

A moment later, Alice's eyes unfocused for several moments.

"Alice, what was–"

"Shush, Edward! Not now. Hmm…too fuzzy. Carlisle, try deciding who you'll send."

Carlisle looked to the ceiling.

"No, Emmett and Rose won't find him."

Carlisle looked out the window.

"Edward and Bella will be too distracted missing Nessie."

Carlisle crossed his arms. "Do you want to go?"

"That's not the best plan either."

With a sigh of exasperation he asked, "Alice, why don't you just _tell _me who I should send?"

Stomp went the foot. "It doesn't work like that and you know it!"

Jasper nudged her gently. "Behave." When he reached for his phone, Alice checked out and back in again.

"Yes! Peter is an excellent choice."

Peter's voice came over the phone clearly. Vampire hearing can be very convenient at times. When Jasper told Peter that he needed to find Alistair, Peter was less than happy.

"What? The loner with trust issues? Doesn't he hang out under rocks and crazy stuff like that 'cuz he don't want to be found?"

"That's him."

"Why in the world do you want me to find him?"

"Just do it, please." His eyes flickered to us and back. "I'm needed here."

"Do you want me to just talk to him, or you do expect me to try and bring his anti-social rear all the way to you?"

"Tell him that Carlisle needs–"

"Not going to work," Carlisle interrupted sadly.

Jasper went silent for a moment. We all knew when the idea hit because he got that mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Tell him we have his ring-safe."

"Ring-safe? What in hell's a ring-safe?"

"You've seen mine, Peter. You know what it is."

"Oh yeah, it's that girly little box y'all put your rings in. You know, Char and I just put 'em on a rock."

Peter's words, plus Emmett's elbow in the ribs, brought a loud growl from Jasper.

"All right, relax, Major, we'll find him."

Jasper had had enough, and his tone made that clear. "See that you do. Call me after you've talked to him, too. We need him here. Oh, and tell Charlotte I said hi."

"About that other matter–"

"Bye, Peter." Jasper's eyes grew minutely wider, for less than a moment, but I caught it. He shut the phone and put it away.

Alice caught it, too. "What's that about?"

A slight shake of Jasper's head had her dropping the subject.

My eyes went to the music box again, and Carlisle's words replayed in my head.

_I think it's time you put more effort into trying to remember._

The more I thought about it, the more I didn't want to do it. Besides, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Just the thought of purposely pulling more horrible memories up made me shiver—and it wasn't from the cold.

Jasper and Edward shifted in their seats at the same time. Looking up and seeing their expressions, I felt exposed. Expecting another lecture from Edward, I was surprised at his words.

"Carlisle, I think now would be a good time to give Scott and Diane their gifts. We can all use a little cheering up right now."

Receiving a nod from Carlisle, Emmett left the room and Edward turned to me.

"I don't lecture."

Jasper cleared his throat and sent a wave of what he thought of Edward's remark around the room. We all burst into laughter from the projected amusement. Even Edward chuckled—he couldn't help it.

"Here it is!" Emmett announced as he came back holding a red-and-silver-wrapped box. Of course, the wrapping job was top-notch. The gift looked like it had been plucked from the cover of a Macy's catalog. Placing the box on my lap, he went back to sit by Rose.

I didn't understand. "It's not my birthday yet. Not our anniversary, either. What gives?"

Bouncing in her seat, Alice was losing her patience. "Just open it! I've already seen you open it, and you _love_ it."

Although I didn't think it was possible, on hearing Alice, everyone's smiles grew wider. Thinking about the seer, I smiled at Jasper.

"I bet buying her gifts is hard on you."

He winked. "You have no idea."

"Scott and Diane Cullen! You two better get that gift opened right now!" Alice ordered.

Scott smirked. "Anyone ever tell that you're awfully small to be so hugely irritating?"

A snicker came from Edward. "Why yes, as a matter of fact, someone has!" He kept laughing until Alice growled. "Oh come on, you laugh at me all the time."

"Will you two stop if we open this?" I teased.

"Yes!"

The paper was too pretty to rip, but I dared not anger my sister further. Scott and I started on the ends, ripping the paper until our hands met in the middle, tearing the rest of the wrapping away.

Sure it was corny, but I couldn't resist. "A cardboard box! You shouldn't have!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. Hundreds of birthdays and Christmases and I've _never_ heard that one before."

Breaking the tape, Scott moved the flaps aside and lifted the treasure out. Given all that had happen today, I could hardly believe my eyes.

"It's _your_ ring-safe," Carlisle said with a smile. "Emmett made it himself. We started planning as soon as we knew you would join our family."

The box was made of a dark polished wood with a red hue to it. It was seven by three by three inches, over twice the width of Yani's. My finger traced the elegant script of the S and the D that graced the lid with an unusual looking arrangement of stones between them that was so captivating; my finger brushed them without volition.

"Alice did that," Jasper said.

Looking at her, she anticipated my question. "They're pear-cut diamonds, two carats each, and there are five of them, one for each of your children. I had them set with the points facing inward so it makes a flower. The setting is platinum and was mounted on a little rod that goes thorough the wood; the flower can be removed when the box needs to be refinished in a few decades."

Emotion made my throat tighten. "So much thought put into one tiny flower. It's lovely, thank you, Alice."

She waved her hand. "I just designed and commissioned the flower. Emmett did the real work."

Emmett huffed. "Kinda feel like I've been shown up since I didn't use an ironwood like mountain mahogany. It's cherry wood, a nice hardwood, if I do say so myself."

Holding it up, I turned the box slowly. Aside from the lid, the rest of the box was simply polished wood. I ran my finger along the edge of the lid, wondering how to phrase the question just right before opening it.

"This one's _not_ a music box," Emmett said with a smile.

My smirk flashed instantly. "Emmett, don't let anyone ever doubt your intelligence. It's simple and elegant; I really like it."

Alice was bouncing again. "Just open it already."

Lined in red velvet, the interior was equally stunning, and not just because of the lining. Like Yani's ring-safe, ours was divided into compartments, but this one had three. The middle one caught my eye first. Nestled between the rolls of velvet were our wedding rings. At that moment, they seemed as if they were only a dream. My finger hovered over the treasures for only a second, never making contact.

When I took in the side compartments, I gasped. In the side sections, lined with the same velvet were our Cullen crests. Scott reached in and picked up the heavy silver ring off of its post. It fit his right ring finger perfectly.

"I sized your finger on the last day of your change," Carlisle confessed in embarrassment.

Scott gaped. "You knew, even then? How?"

"Well, I didn't _know_, but I had a strong suspicion."

Still bouncing, Alice chimed in. "Oh, I _knew_, so I started designing Diane's right away."

Focusing on controlling my strength, I gently lifted the silver chain and took in every detail. The Cullen crest pendant was edged in a twisted rope design. What was unexpected was the mounting. The edges were scalloped, but there were only five curves. The effect was subtle, yet beautiful, and almost looked like my crest was the center of an oval shaped flower. The meaning of the five scallops formed a lump in my throat.

"Oh, Alice."

She sat next to me. Touching the pendant, she explained. "Rose and Esme and I thought it would be like you were carrying their memories with you. Really, if it weren't for your children, you may not have decided to turn. Is it okay? I mean…I hope it isn't too painful."

"No, I'll treasure it always." Not trusting myself with the delicate clasp I asked, "Help me put it on?" Alice obliged and the symbol of our family was soon in place.

"No one but us will know the meaning of it. I like that," I added.

Carlisle stepped to Scott's side. "There's one last surprise. See the small loop there at the edge of your side? Lift it."

Scott did as he was asked. I watched as the false bottom lifted up and back to reveal another level. There, nestled in its custom fitted spot, was a large silver belt buckle that also bore the Cullen crest. Seeing Scott remove it, Carlisle added, "I designed this for you, since you wear jeans almost every day. The ring is for the rare occasions where jeans wouldn't be appropriate."

"Thank you, Carlisle. I'll wear this with pride." He turned the buckle in his hands and ran his finger along the engraving of his name on the back, before passing it to Edward. The buckle then began its journey around the room. When the buckle came into Jasper's hands, he said what I was thinking.

"Very nice, think I'll have to have one made for me."

Carlisle produced a thin box from his jacket pocket. "I thought you would say that."

Jasper's smile was a mile wide when he lifted his buckle, an exact copy of Scott's except for the name on the back. "Thank you kindly," he said with a nod.

The familiar twinkle came to my sire's eye. "Diane, there is a loop on your side also."

My fingers found the velvet loop quickly, but I pulled it slowly, careful not to damage what was so lovingly made. I wanted it to last for an eternity, after all. Carlisle's indulgence renewed my smile as I looked at my own buckle; identical—but a smaller version—of my mate's.

"Oh, Carlisle, thank you so much."

He shrugged. "I thought you would like to match."

Knowing Alice, there was no point in asking. Still, I could resist teasing her a bit. "You know, I saw a belt that would be perfect for this buckle on the Leatherworks website that I simply must have. No other will do. I think I'll order it tonight."

Taking my bait, she scowled. "But, but, it can't be the _only_ one."

Edward put his hand over his mouth.

_Don't you ruin my fun! _I commanded mentally.

I pretended not to notice her building distress and waved my hand as I'd seen her do so many times. "No, no, it has to be that one."

"But, what about–"

I babbled on, "Hmm I wonder how long it will take for it to get here after I place an order…"

If Jasper hadn't caught her by the waist and held tight, I may have had to break for the door. "I've already had belts made for both of you and you know it!"

Crossing my arms I declared triumphantly, "I do now!"

"Cheater!" she shot as she crossed her arms.

Laughter at our antics settled down when Carlisle slid Esme from his lap and stood in the middle of the room with a serious face.

"Diane, it's time we get back to those memories of yours."

I noticed when a vision hit Alice and was disappointed when she stayed quiet.

Emmett leaned forward. "You want us to leave? We don't mind. Maybe it'll make it easier for you."

A grimace crossed my face when I considered his offer. "No, it's okay, Em. Keeping this stuff to myself has caused nothing but trouble. Perhaps if everyone is here we can get this garbage figured out. But, if you _want_ to go, I won't hold it against you."

He crossed his arms. "No way, _little sis_, if we can help then we're in, right, Rosie?"

"That we are," Rose agreed.

Naturally, Carlisle took charge of the situation. "All right, Scott trade places with Diane so that she's in the middle of the couch. Good. Now, Jasper, sit on her other side. You may need to touch her to use your gift if things get intense. Edward, to the piano. While you will be able to see everything she remembers, I think it best that you stay quiet unless there is danger. Diane needs to work this out on her own. Alice, the same goes for you. I'd like everyone to stay silent aside from Diane. Scott, talk to her if you think it will help, but try to interfere as little as possible."

He looked around thoughtfully. "Everyone clear?"

Silent gestures confirmed we all understood.

Carlisle sat down across from us and motioned to the piano. "Edward?"

Fear began to creep over me when he sat down and lifted the lid from the keys. When it gently ebbed away, my eyes went to Jasper.

"You let me deal with that. Just focus on rememberin'. I won't let it overtake you."

I nodded and closed my eyes. Scott's hand gently grasped mine, while his other arm slipped around my waist.

"I'm here, sweetheart. You can do this. Whatever it is, I'm here to face it with you."

Squeezing his hand in response, I took a deep breath. "Since the memories all play in my head I think you should only talk out loud. So I can tell the difference."

"Will do," he answered.

Edward softly asked, "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be," I whispered.

The familiar notes filled the air. I tensed when they tried to enter me and stir the memories I had been fighting. The fear pushed at me. I struggled at first but eventually was able to pay it no attention, and it faded to nothing.

"Good," Jasper praised. "Keep doing it, just like that."

The memories were dim—so frustrating! Focusing on the music, I hummed softly to see where the tune would take me.

_She's in my room—a wooden box—"Keep this, to remember me."_

Like a DVD, I stopped, and replayed that memory.

_She's in my room—a wooden box…_

_Nothing. _

Replay.

_She's in my room—a wooden box…_

_Nothing. Ugh!_

I flung my hands in the air and huffed. "It's not working. Let's just forget it."

Claire de Lune cut off and Edward sat next to his wife. "Try the music box," he suggested. My scowl earned me a roll of his eyes. "The box has been yours for some time, right? Chances are you've played it. If the box stirs your memories, it only makes sense that the music would as well. It's obvious what piece it plays."

Without waiting for my response, Scott reached over and slid the box closer.

He slowly wound the key and the fear nipped at me. I left it to Jasper, and it faded away as before. Sliding my eyes to him, I gave a small smile in thanks.

The notes from the box were not as full and rich as Edward's piano, yet when they played the same tune, they were powerful. The moment I closed my eyes, the memory played without my permission.

"_Keep this, to remember me. You must never tell anyone you have seen me. Ever."_

"_But why?" I asked._

"_I can't tell you. Just know that I love you and will do all I can to protect you."_

The memory suddenly faded away, and I frowned. Keeping my eyes closed, the music played on and I tried again.

Replay.

_She's in my room. Sitting on my bed, I see her. With new knowledge, I look at her again—skin…eyes…vampire. _

I struggled to keep my focus when the memory halted. I focused on the music and let it fill me.

Replay.

_She's in the orchard. I see her standing in the shadows, waiting, as the sun sets. I remember! She only comes at twilight. She walks towards my window, and I motion for her to come. I've been waiting for her. She climbs in and I want to hug her, but she points to my bed, and I sit._

"_I have something for you," she says. Gently, she puts the music box on the foot of the bed and moves back. "Keep this, to remember me."_

_My finger brushes around the rose carving before I lift the box to my lap._

"_You talk as if you're going away, Auntie. Please, don't leave me. I need you."_

"_Diane, you must never tell anyone you have seen me. Ever. No matter what happens."_

"_But why?" I ask._

"_I can't tell you. Just know that I love you and will do all I can to protect you."_

_I turn the box in my hands and study it—so beautiful. "Where did you get this, Auntie? Why give it to me?"_

_Her eyes—now I understand the color: tinted by her natural food source. Her gaze bores into mine. "It is my most prized possession. Keep it hidden. I'm trusting you to keep my secrets."_

"_Why can't you take me with you?"_

_No answer. I look up to find myself alone. _

The echo of her parting words, mixed with the notes from the box, stir something within.

_Secret…her secret…no…secrets. Her secretS!_

Suddenly, scores of memories flooded my mind, causing my head to spin. The music continued to play–an eerie background as the scenes steadily flowed through me. Fighting the urge to push them away, my hands started to shake. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, Scott's voice drifted to me amidst the chaos.

"Don't fight it…you're safe…I'm here."

The assault continued, and all the while I was aware of the music. When it slowed, the storm of the past slowed with it. I rode it out—the barrage of memories—until the music stopped. As the silence took over, peace filled me.

_Thank you, Jasper._

My eyes opened to Scott's anxious face. His distress needed to be soothed.

"Scott, sweetie, I'm okay."

He studied me as his hand went to my cheek. "What do you remember?"

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

08.24.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

As always I must thanks my betas. They are probably really sick of all my comma errors (evil little things!) but still they beta my chapters rather than run for the hills.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Diagrams of the ring-safe and Scott and Diane's crest can be found on my blog: .com. Looks for the 'NWB notes' link at the top of the page.

**Shameless bribe:** Anyone who leaves a review will be sent a teaser for the next chapter.

**Question: **I have decided to write another outtake of NWB and will donate it to Fandom for Leukemia. So, my readers, what would you like this outtake to be about? Is there a chapter you would like to see from another POV? Perhaps someone leaves and you want to know what they were up to? I am completely open to suggestions.

~MA


	14. Tales of the Past

14

Tales of the Past

My eyes burned with the tears I would never shed, and my fingers rubbed at them roughly in reflex. I held up my hand, asking for a few moments to untangle my head. Scott's arm tightened around my waist in response; it was all I needed to close my eyes. One by one, I replayed each memory, putting them in the proper order. If I had been human, my brain might have shut down completely from the mental strain of it all. Everyone waited in silence.

I secretly wondered if the memories would be lost if I didn't tell them immediately. At that moment, it seemed voicing what I had just seen in my head would make it real. Trusting my family completely, I began to tell them every memory that had reclaimed a place in my head just minutes before. Riding a fine line between nervousness and excitement, my words came out in a shaky rush.

"Tatiana was my mother's only sister. My middle name is after her. She was my favorite aunt. When I was little, I couldn't say Tatiana, so I called her Yani and the name stuck. I was her flower girl when she got married. She lived in the same town as we did, so I was able to see her often."

A wisp of calm floated around me—just enough for a clarifying thought to seep in.

_I have perfect vampire recall. My memories aren't going anywhere._

Stopping for a moment—to nod my head in thanks to Jasper—I steadied myself and started again at a slower pace.

"When I was fourteen, she went on a week-long backpacking trip with her husband, Travis. They did that kind of thing a lot, so we weren't really worried when they didn't come home on the date they'd told us." A disturbing thought came to me.

_All of the fear makes sense now—who would want to remember this for all eternity?_

"It took a week before the police found their gear scattered around a campsite. They called off the search after three weeks with no other sign of them. I was devastated. My mother and I were never close, but I could always talk to Yani. She took the time to listen to me; I felt so lost without her. School was torture, so I went on independent study. For weeks I only left my room to grab an occasional sandwich and to mail in my schoolwork. My parents threatened to take me to a psychologist unless I quit my _drama_. It took a while, but I learned to put up a good front.

"A little over a year later, I was in the back yard reading under the large oak tree..." I smiled briefly at the memory before going on. "I had the odd feeling I was being watched.

"That was the first time I saw her since she disappeared; she had been hiding in the orange grove next to the house. When I called out to her, she told me to be quiet. I knew something was different about her. Of course, I can see it now, but I had no clue then. She wouldn't come near me—she would only speak to me through the window at first. Later, when she would come into my room, she made me stay away and sit on the bed. She never touched me. She was trying to keep the secret to protect me."

With a laugh at my foolishness, I shared the rest. "I asked her to take me with her, but she refused. My home life wasn't good. After she gave me the box, she asked me to keep her secrets and then left while my eyes were on the box. I don't remember seeing her after that. Since I wasn't killed, I can only assume I kept the secret."

Scott ran his hand over my hair. "That explains why you never told me."

"I couldn't," I replied. "If I had, we both would have been in danger—the children as well."

A small cough from Edward got my attention. "Diane, what about the door? What does it mean?"

Ugh. Of course, Edward had seen everything, including the only memory I wasn't ready to share. When I answered, my tone was harsher than I intended. "Don't understand it; don't want to talk about it."

Scott's arm tightened around me while he defended me in a gentle tone. "Edward, I think she's shared enough for one day. Let's give her a rest. Maybe try again in a day or two."

"Fair enough," Edward conceded.

Alice popped out of her chair. "Well, if we're done, I have things to do. Come on, Rose, I need you to look at some fabric samples up in our room."

As Rose followed Alice up the stairs, she shrugged. "Sure, if you're willing to design the clothes, then I'm willing to wear them." Her eyes lit up in excitement. "Did the summer fabric collection come out? I don't want to wear the old stuff."

"I know, I know, no old stuff for you. Let's go."

At first I was hurt to be left behind until I realized how mentally wiped out I felt. Leaning into Scott, I relaxed as Bella told us how she had met Edward. Fascinated by the events that brought them together, I let my troubles slip away.

My mouth popped open more than once as she shared their history. A mind-reading vampire meets not just a human, but also his singer whose mind is silent to him. What are the odds? Their story of their first meeting, angst, trials, angst, finally declaring their love, and still more angst was only topped by their daughter's birth that almost killed Bella. Edward's venom had saved her from certain death just as Carlisle's had saved us. Once Bella's story was over, the conversation bored me. Really, what could compare with _that_?

With no more of Bella's tale to distract me, I noticed Alice and Rose still hadn't come down, and my curiosity won out. I went upstairs to see what tricks the family fashionista had up her sleeve. Perhaps I could get her to let me help.

"Hey ladies…" My voice trailed off in surprise—no one was in there to talk to.

_What the hell?_

Joining everyone else downstairs, I was about to ask Jasper where his wife was when his phone rang. Jasper's phone ringing was nothing new. What got my attention was the very direct way in which he answered it.

"You better have some good news for me."

Peter's smugness was thick. "I have such good news you'd pass out if you could."

Jasper's frown deepened. "Spit it out."

"You know how I just know stuff?"

"Your gift."

"It's not a gift. It's just knowin' stuff."

"You goin' to tell me?"

"You ever heard of the word _please?_"

"Perhaps it'd be faster if I ran to Texas and knocked you around a bit. Bet you'd tell me right quick then."

"You're real a killjoy, you know that? Here's the down and dirty version: Alistair's on his way."

Everyone expressed surprise in some way as Jasper asked, "What'd you tell him? What'd he say when you told him about his ring-safe?"

"That's just it. I never found him. He's goin' on his own."

"When did he decide to do that?"

"Now, I know I'm pretty, but do I look like your wife? She's the gifted one. Like I said, I just know stuff."

Jasper looked up in the direction of his silent room and scowled. "Diane, where's Alice?"

"She and Rose are gone." I shrugged. "I don't know where they went or even when they left."

His fist came down fast but, seeing it held his phone, he stopped less than an inch from his knee. "Confound that woman! I bet she saw him comin' and went to get him instead of tellin' me."

Jasper's eyes were black by the time he said a quick, "Bye, Peter." He pressed one button to end the call and then pressed one more button. Alice's voicemail greeting caused her husband's eyes to narrow, and I winced. _Not good._ His voice was low and seething when he left his message. "Alice Whitlock Cullen, you'd better call me as soon as you get this, and you'd better have one _hell_ of an explanation."

Being the closest to him, his glare settled on me when he closed his phone. My voice came out small as I offered, "Always trust Alice?"

"You coverin' for her?"

If I had been, Jasper's projected anger would have been enough for me to throw my sister under the bus. Still, even with my healthy respect for my brother's temper, I didn't appreciate the implication that I was being dishonest. "I already told you, I don't know."

He looked at me, and I assumed he was using his gift to read me. I was never so glad to be clueless.

When his eyes left me, I took that as a signal that I passed his test. _Alice had to see this. What was she thinking? _Jasper's eyes went to Edward, who lifted his hands and said, "Don't look at me. All she was thinking about was cottons, wools, blends—what's a gabardine anyway?"

When the angry husband's phone rang again, he answered it before the first ring had finished. "One hell of an explanation, Alice."

Judging from her voice, that's exactly what Alice had. "We'll be home in less than ten minutes—with Alistair." The line went dead, drawing a loud growl from Jasper. His hand tightened around his phone, and the cracking sound from it cut off the growl. Looking at the abused object, he shouted, "What good are titanium controllers for the Playstation when what I _really_ need is a titanium phone?"

Edward took the phone gently. "Just the case is cracked. It will still function until we can get you a new one." With a smile he added, "Perhaps we can look at military grade phones."

With a snap of his fingers, Emmett jumped up. "He needs a JCB Toughphone. I heard you can run 'em over with a steamroller. What do you say, Jazz, think you can manage to keep it for longer than a week?"

His answering glare silenced everyone. Jasper began to pace. The tension in the room grew thicker with each passing minute, and the anger coming off him scared me. My eyes followed him pass after pass—with each one the tension and anger intensified.

"Jazz, dude, chill," Emmett said lightly. "They're on the way back. It's cool."

Halting in his tracks, Jasper spun to face the family teddy bear. "You tellin' me you're _okay_ with them sneakin' off like that?" With a tilt of his head he added, "Or are you tellin' me you _knew_?" With that Jasper took a step in Emmett's direction, causing him to raise his hands defensively.

"Whoa, dude, I didn't know. I'm a little miffed at Rosie, for sure, but at least I'm gonna hear her side of things first. You might consider doing the same, bro."

Jasper's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, guess you're right." His anger went down a notch but was definitely still there. Scott pulled me back and took my place near Jasper's path, which he had resumed pacing. He waited until their eyes met.

"Projecting," he said quietly.

The empath stilled. "Oh, sorry, everyone." His eyes narrowed at my husband who, for some reason, had a smirk on his face. He eyed Scott questioningly before growling, "What's with you? You think this is _funny_?"

"Shoe's on the other foot now." The smile in his voice was unmistakable.

Jasper raised his finger and opened his mouth, only to freeze for two seconds at his loss for words, and then he said icily, "I don't want to hear it, not one word."

Scott crossed his arms. "Mm-hmm."

A slow chuckle came from Edward that built into a full laugh. "So _that's_ what you two were up to the other day. What delicious blackmail material!"

United by a common pest, they replied, "Shut up, Edward!" in unison.

Edward laughed harder. The harder he laughed, the more I was sure I didn't want to know what he was laughing about.

Everyone got quiet when we heard Alice and Rose coming with a third vampire, who I guessed was Alistair. Not thinking of Esme's strong sense of hospitality, I was confused when they went around the house to the front door.

Placing a gentle hand on her son's arm, Esme quietly reminded him that Alistair was a guest. "Jasper, you and Emmett need to take your wives _outside_ to talk. Make sure you are out of hearing range, please."

_At least someone will be talking that's not us._

When the door opened, Esme was a gracious hostess. "Alistair, so good to see you again."

After taking my first look at the new vampire, I felt nervous. I knew that many friends of the family were human drinkers, but I had never seen one before. Sure, there was Yani, but I hadn't known what she was then. Only after I pushed the gruesome thought away did it occur to me that here stood someone, perhaps the only one, who had some real answers to the questions that had been plaguing me. Not wanting to be premature with those questions, my eyes went to my sisters.

Rose and Alice stood side by side with hands on hips, glaring at their husbands, who stood with arms crossed, sporting glares of their own. Placing herself between the two lines, Esme pointed to the door. "You four, outside, right now." He tone may have been on the gentle side, but she made it clear she expected to be obeyed. Only after they left did she look after them and add, "And don't come back until you've worked it completely out." I chuckled internally, watching four of the earth's most dangerous predators obey their adopted mother. She was absolutely the right person to mother this family.

My attention was so taken with the antics of my siblings that I didn't notice it until they left. Alistair was staring at me. He broke his gaze, only briefly, when Esme asked if he would be more comfortable waiting for Carlisle in his study.

Shaking his head in answer to her, he extended his hand to me. "Forgive me for staring, but my mind must be playing tricks on me. I'm sure I've never met you before, yet I seem to know you."

At a loss for the best way to proceed, I looked at Esme. She gave me a small nod, so I answered, "My name is Diane."

"You can't possibly be…" His voice trailed off in a tone of disbelief.

"Yes, Yani is my aunt."

His eyes widened. "But how?"

"That's a bit of a story," I murmured. "First, let me introduce Scott, my husband."

After shaking hands and a few words in greeting, our guest's eyes were back on me. "Please, tell me how you came to be one of us."

I opened my mouth to reply, but he fired off more questions before I could speak.

"Who changed you? Was it Yani? When did you last see her? Judging from your eye color, you are feeding on animals but are less than a year old, correct?"

Esme held up her hand. "You are correct on their diet and age. Scott, Diane, why don't you tell your story from the beginning while I call and see what is keeping my husband?"

Taking a breath, I plunged right in. "Well, back in January, Scott and I were driving home with our children…"

Since we had no shortage of time or energy, I told the story in detail. Scott interjected in places to add his point of view. I had just gotten to the part about meeting with the pack when Carlisle's car rolled up the drive. Esme went out to meet him, and they came in together holding hands. Leaving out my resurfacing memories, and all that went with them, I ended our tale not long after.

After we had finished, Carlisle greeted our guest. "Alistair, old friend, what brings you here?"

"I have to confess, I am confused on that point at present, Carlisle." His face turned serious. "I must ask, did you know them before the day they were changed?"

What kind of question was _that_? He knew more than he was telling.

Carlisle was visibly taken aback by the question. "I assure you, I did not."

"Hmm, I see." Turning back to me, he stopped and rubbed his chin. His question was slow and hesitant. "Diane, my dear, what do you know about…your aunt?"

Tired of the elusiveness, I was ready to ask some questions of my own when Jasper and Emmett returned with their wives. Once everyone was seated and the greetings were taken care of, silence reigned for only three seconds before Alice let out an impatient, "Well?"

Jasper cleared his throat. "Alice and Rose went to escort our guest around the pack's territory because Alice had seen that he was goin' to cross it, which would have ended badly."

"Horrendously," Alice corrected.

Carlisle chuckled. "Duly noted."

My patience was spent. Truly I didn't have much to begin with, but I wanted answers, and sitting less than two feet from me was a vampire that could—and would—supply them. Moving as fast as I could, I went to our bedroom, retrieved the music box, and set it on the table in front of the man everyone was sure had made it.

"Start talking," I ordered.

"_Be nice,"_ Scott chided silently.

I uncrossed my arms. "_Please_, start talking."

With a reverence that surpassed my own, Alistair stared at the box before he reached out and stroked the lid with a solitary finger. "Where did you get this?" he whispered.

I sank back into my seat and softened my voice. "I've had it for years. Yani gave it to me when I was young, about fourteen, I think. There's a lot I don't remember, and it seems there's a lot I was never told." Alice sat beside me when my voice broke. "Please, she's related by blood. Please, tell me what you know. I'm sure it's just a little, but it's better than nothing." I rubbed my eyes in frustration—crying would be a relief I would never have again. "Please."

At first it looked as if he would protest and deny it all. After a pause, his shoulders fell, and I knew he would spill.

"How did you know I made this?"

I reached out and gently pressed on the lamb. "Your scent is here."

"Ah, so the little drawer hasn't been opened in all these years?"

"Not this part. I needed vampire eyes to see the space around the inlay that gave it away. You do exquisite work."

Carlisle caressed his wife's hand. "So you made this, my friend? For whom?"

Alistair remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Moving slowly, I lightly touched his hand to rouse him. "Did she buy this from you?" When he did not answer, a new thought occurred to me. "Did you make this for someone else—the man who gave it to her?"

Edward's groan caused Alistair to look at him. Our mind reader looked ashamed and shrugged one shoulder. "I'm sorry, I can't help what I hear and see. It's your story to tell, not mine." Something in Edward's eyes confirmed it was not a happy tale.

Our guest lifted the box and held it in his palm before he opened the lid. I was nervous to see another holding something I treasured, for many different reasons. But seeing that he had made it, I didn't think it right to deny him. When his finger brushed the key on the music movement, I lost myself.

"Please, don't do that!"

Confused by my outburst, he pulled his finger away. I didn't know him well enough to tell him how the music affected me, so I let my rudeness embarrass me into silence.

Ever the patriarch, Carlisle took charge. "My friend, if you could just tell us who you made the box for, it would be helpful."

Alistair looked at me. "I made the box for the man who gave it to her. That man was me—this box was my _gift_ to her."

I didn't know what to say as the implications of Alistair's words sank in. The silence in the room told me no one else had words either.

He patted my knee and smiled so briefly I almost missed it. "My dear, it is now my turn to tell a story." Clasping his hands together he began. "Maine was where I found her in 1984. As usual, I was out in the forest, keeping to myself. It's easier to hunt out in the wilderness; there's usually a stray human or two. I had found a lone man the day before, so while still hungry, I only wanted one human more.

"Their scent came to me before I heard them. There were camping—having breakfast, to be exact. On first sight, I was disappointed. My habit is to avoid feeding from mated couples. Being alone so long has taught me respect for love—human or vampire.

"Having decided to look elsewhere to feed, I began to leave when Tatiana upset the coffee pot, effectively dousing the fire and losing the coffee all at once. I paid it no mind and was already on my way when he began to raise his voice. When I heard him strike her, I decided to intervene."

I twitched in my seat. "Uncle Travis _hit _her?" Searching what human memories I had, I couldn't recall what he looked like. My anger boiled as I imagined what I would do when I got my hands on him. _Let's see..I'd start by breaking his legs…_ A small cough from Edward snapped me back to our guest.

With a sharp nod, Alistair continued. "He landed two more blows before I got my hands on that sorry excuse for a man. The beast within took over as I crushed his neck in my hands." His hands clenched as he relived the memory—proof that our perfect recall could be a curse. My intuition told me he had replayed that day many times. The immortal's face twisted into a grimace as he added, "My only regret as far as he's concerned is that I failed to draw out his pain. He deserved that…and so much more.

"When I came to myself, Tatiana lay on the ground with a gushing head wound. To be completely honest, I am not sure I was at all rational when I bit her. Only after it was done did I question my action. By then the venom was already doing its work.

"Fortune smiled on me, and I found a hunter's cabin. In a feeble attempt to make her more comfortable, I removed her jacket, revealing a sleeveless shirt underneath. Bruises and scars marred her lovely skin." He swallowed hard. "They were everywhere."

_No! She would have told me._ "You…mean…he…" I couldn't finish.

Alistair's fist came down on his knee sending a loud crack through the room.

"The fool! He had been given the gift of one so lovely, and he _squandered_ it!"

Carlisle smiled. "Ah, you were smitten from the beginning."

Looking at the floor, he collected himself. "Yes, but I wouldn't allow myself to think on it at the time. Even as old as I am, I had never changed anyone—before or since—I was a bundle of nerves the entire time."

"I understand _that_ completely," Carlisle murmured.

"Those three days were agonizing—as you well know. But when she opened her red eyes, I felt my whole world slip into place, as if a great wrong had suddenly been righted." His eyes slipped closed as he smiled.

Edward smirked. I wished I could see Alistair's thoughts, too.

"Her first months were difficult, as expected. She mentioned you constantly, Diane. I couldn't let her go to you as a newborn, naturally, and it pained her greatly.

"At the end of her first year, I made my affections known and presented her with the box. I liked to surprise her—she was so fond of surprises. It took me months to make, and keeping it a secret was no easy task. I didn't reveal the true purpose of the box at first; I wanted to take things slowly. Then one day…"

Sliding his thumb over the gem between the two inlays, he pressed, and a soft click riveted my attention to his actions. Keeping his thumb on the gem he slid the little drawer all the way out, revealing the tiny drawer had a back compartment that held a large diamond solitaire.

The gasp came from me before I could stop it. "You proposed!"

He nodded. "It hurt when she told me she needed to think, but I tried to be understanding." His eyes shifted from his hands to the box and back, and then he drew in a ragged breath as he pushed the drawer back into place and closed it.

"The next day we went hunting. When she did not return to our meeting place, I knew she had left me. All the joy I had during that year—the happiest year of my existence—all that joy turned to pain. My heart was in a worse state than before I found her, loved her." The pain in his voice made me pity him. "I told myself that I would not follow her—even though I knew where she was going."

Rising, he went to the window and looked over the back yard. He let out a bitter laugh, the poor man.

"A week! That's all I lasted—one week. Then I made my way to California. She had told me the name of the town you lived by. Finding the farm didn't present much of a challenge.

"So, I waited for her to arrive. I knew she would, Diane; she was desperate for you. When she did come, she knew I was there—my scent gave me away. I never spoke to her nor showed myself–convinced that I could be content just to watch her from afar."

Edward scoffed as he hugged Bella to his chest. "Surely you discovered the foolishness of that idea, as I have."

"That I did, my friend. But it took some time. I witnessed her visits for months. She would come once a week. As far as I know, she never touched the girl and never told what she had become. Between Tatiana doing everything to keep her secret and Diane trying to keep hers, the visits were taking a toll on them both. Still, I lacked the heart to stop them as I should have.

"One fateful day, everything went horribly wrong. Tatiana had left the day before. My plan to give in to my desire—to beg her to marry me—was thwarted by a would-be robber turned meal. By the time I finished disposing of the body, she was too far away.

"Just as I thought things could get no worse, cruel fate laughed at me, and a monster stepped from the shadows. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw Travis, sporting red eyes! I must be the worst vampire on the planet not to have noticed that his heart was still beating when I left. My only defense is that I was too occupied with Tatiana's care.

"He recognized me immediately and demanded to know where _his wife_ was. When I informed the scoundrel that she was no longer his concern, the cad laughed at me—telling me she was _his_ and that she would _serve _him for all time. Throwing out a few well-deserved epithets to bait him, I ran. Blessedly, he followed. He may have possessed newborn strength and speed, but I haven't reached over seven hundred years by luck alone. I baited him all the way to Montana before I engaged him in battle. He was no match for me."

Unconsciously, I scooted closer. "You ended him?"

Alistair sniffed. "I scarcely resisted the urge to dance around his pyre."

Sadness suddenly stole over his face. "By the time I returned to the farm, Diane, you were gone. I waited for weeks. Tatiana never returned, so I began to use my gift to track her. My gift works slowly; I'm no match for Demetri, I assure you, or I would have found her quickly. Every time I got close, she slipped through my fingers. I spent months chasing her around the country before I returned to England. She was running from me, and my heart just couldn't take it. The distance eased the pull of…my gift, so that the pain was tolerable, but just.

Carlisle sadly looked at his friend. "So, she _is_ your mate. Why did you never tell me? You must have known we would have helped you."

"Helped me what?" Alistair asked incredulously. "Chase her all over the country? Surround her and scare her into never trusting me again?" He scoffed. "Fat load of help that would have been." He waved a dismissive hand. "At the time there was no point in seeking your help—I refused to force her. And the last time I saw you, you were all quite busy."

Realization bloomed on Carlisle's face. "That's the reason you left us? You went to find her?"

"In vain," he spat. "Carlisle, I felt her pull from the first day I was here. I knew it would be that way; you have no idea how hard it was for me to come with you. I tried to fight her pull. The fuss I made was merely a front to ease my pain and hide my grief.

"It was no small feat to protect my true thoughts from Edward, but I knew you needed me here. My self-control waned by the day as the pull grew. She was on the move and getting closer. I had to go. She evaded me, of course. After feeling her close again, leaving the country was impossible for me."

"You've been looking for her since last year?"

Alistair's silence was deafening.

"My friend, I am so sorry."

Just when I thought his sorrow could go no deeper, pain-filled eyes met mine as Alistair gripped my hand. "I've not told you the worst of it."

A feeling of dread rose from my chest, closing my throat; I nodded silently for him to continue.

"Two months ago, she disappeared. What I mean to say is that I can no longer _feel_ her."

"At all?" Edward asked.

Alistair whispered, "At all."

Leaning on his elbows, Jasper asked the question that was on the tip of my tongue. "What do you think that means?"

The eyes of the man who loved my aunt for years never left mine. "There is only one thing that it means."

I began to shake my head, but he continued.

"This has happened with others, and the reason is always the same."

"NO!" I shouted. "You don't know that!"

"My dear, I am so very sorry."

Pushing from my seat, I fisted my hands at my sides to control the urge to break something—or someone.

Testing my self-control, Alistair placed his hands on my shoulders. "She spoke of you often. She loved you very much."

"Do you have proof of her death?" I challenged.

He took a step back. "I know what my gift tells me."

My anger bubbled to the surface and I began to shake. "No! I won't believe it. I won't! Don't you dare tell–"

"Diane!" Startled by his sharp tone, I fell silent as Scott stepped in front of me.

I held up my hands and stepped back to show my desire for space. "I—I'm sorry. Please, I need—I need a few minutes alone."

When he nodded, I ran.

Wanting some fresh air, I perched myself on the large boulder by the river. I refused to think on Alistair's revelation, so I focused on my surroundings. The sounds of the outdoors began to relax me. As the water and wind played their symphony, I picked up a faint sound that didn't fit.

Swish—Swoosh…

I froze as the unknown scent hit. Leaves rustling in a unnatural pattern drew my eyes upward. A strange vampire was traveling through the treetops along the ridge. He stopped short when our eyes met. I did a quick inventory of his appearance: red eyes, blond hair cut short, only a black vest covered his chest. Why would he come so close to the Cullen home? Surely our scent was all over this area.

Swish—Swoosh…

The stranger left the trees and disappeared over the ridge. Just as I began to feel relief that the vampire was heading away from me, a human scream tore through the twilight. Leaping off the rock, I turned to go back to the main house to tell the others what had happened. The scent washed over me before I took the third step, pulling me to a stop. With a groan, I breathed it in again.

Warm.

Rich.

Blood.

Human blood.

Without a word to anyone, I ran to wherever my instincts would take me.

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

8.24.12

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Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

I have three of the most patient betas on the planet! **SqueakyZorro, Evil Pumpkin & Kherisma** all get first place in the "Dealing with a grammatically challenged author" category. Thanks for all of your explanations that will one day sink. :)

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review!

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

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All reviews will be answered and paid for with a teaser of the next chapter! ;)

~MA


	15. Dissecting the Problem

15

Dissecting the Problem

Time came to a standstill as I raced through the trees and up to the ridge. Fully on the hunt—led by the scent—I only knew that I needed to find the human whose blood promised to be delicious and satisfying. The scent of the other vampire, as well as the human scent, grew stronger as I raced higher. Reaching the summit, I stopped to let my eyes assist my nose in finding my prey. Once I caught the scent, finding him didn't take long.

A growl came from the vampire when I interrupted his feeding. Although I longed to steal his kill, my instinct told me that I wouldn't stand a chance against him in a fight. Red eyes stayed locked on me while he fed. He was nearly finished—his victim had stopped moving. I guessed he was a quick feeder; a man lay dead at his feet already. The human in his arms, clearly a female, had long blonde hair that was streaked with blood.

In my thirst-crazed state, I wondered if I would be able to get any of the sweet nectar once he left the bodies. Watching him drink, I licked my lips in anticipation and took a step closer. Several growls rang out behind me, signaling that my family had arrived.

_They'd better not try to stop me._

The stranger raised one hand in submission, and began to slowly lower his victim to the earth. Drawn to the scent of the lingering blood, I hissed and took another step forward. When the body settled to the ground, the head lolled over, bringing her face into view.

_No! _

All desire for blood vanished as realization dawned on me. The pendulum of my volatile emotions changed direction and swung in full force, and in the space of three seconds, I went from crazed with hunger to instant wrath. The fire of thirst no longer burned in my throat. The fire of vengeance now burned in my very soul.

Uncontrolled rage locked my body into stillness as the scene before me seared into my brain for all eternity. The body I desired to drain—only moments ago—I now wanted to cradle in my arms: my sister Natalie. My precious sister stared at me with dead eyes; her husband lay on the ground beside her.

The sound of the murderer's snarl shook me from my thoughts. Instantly, my mind began plotting his death. His foot twitched; he would start to run in less than a second. My parting words were sent in a silent scream to Scott. Edward would hear of course, but I didn't care.

"_STAY BACK! Do not follow me! He's mine! If you come after us, I'll let him kill me! I swear it!"_

I was almost a quarter of a mile away when the last words left me after the chase began. Hearing Scott's pained cry of "Everyone stop!" I knew we weren't being followed—yet. Knowing my husband, he wouldn't stay put for long. I could only hope it would be long enough to give me time for what I needed to do.

The vampire was not as fast as Edward. I had a fair chance of catching him. My strategy was borrowed from a recent training session with Jasper.

_After draining a deer, I stood up to clean my hands when Edward reached over and snatched my new knit hat from my head. It was a deep purple, it matched my new vest, and I wanted it back. Alice would pitch a fit if I lost it. Running after him, I quickly became discouraged because Edward was so fast. Seeing that Jasper was running beside me, I began to complain._

"_I'll never catch him, he's too fast."_

"_Don't stop running," Jasper commanded. "You don't always have to be faster. You just have to be smarter. Focus on him, stay as close as you can, and then just wait for him to make a mistake."_

_Jasper's point was soon proven when Edward looked back to taunt me and clipped a tree. The force of the blow stopped enough of his momentum to let me catch up and retrieve my hat. I didn't feel a bit sorry for Edward; the crack in his finger did heal, after all._

"Focus!" I ordered myself aloud.

We had been running for seventeen minutes before I started to notice that I was gaining ground. He had to decide where to run and what obstacles to jump over. All I had to do was follow, and I knew the family property well. It wasn't much of an edge, but at least it was something. We leaped over fallen trees and rocks. At one point, he took to the treetops in hopes of losing me. Flitting though the trees was something I enjoyed and did often after my hunts, so I had gotten quite fast. I had edged even closer to him before he went to the forest floor again.

The trees began to thin as we came to the second river in the area. While out of sight since it was lower in the ravine, the sound and scent of the water was unmistakable. Suddenly, this chase rose to a new level of danger. If he crossed the river he would be in the pack's territory. There was nothing that would keep me from following him. It might cost me my new family—or my life—but I _would_ avenge my sister.

A large boulder sat in the distance. When he began to arc his path to go around it, I grinned and silently thanked Jasper for his lesson. Finally, the monster had made his mistake. Mustering every last ounce of speed from my body, I ran directly for the boulder. Once my foot touched it, I launched myself from the top of the rock; my leap sent me directly into my target. My arms wrapped around him before crashing into the earth. Landing on top of him was my next lucky break. I quickly slid both of my knees into his back as my hands found his wrists. He was able to wrench one of him arms free, but with a push of my knees I jerked the other arm from his body and reveled in the satisfying screech of vampire flesh tearing.

With a loud shriek, he threw me from him and jumped to his feet. He faced me in a low crouch, and we began to circle. Raising his arm at him, I taunted my first victory.

"Need this?" I sneered. Then I tossed it into the ravine behind me. Only then did I take notice of his chest; his black open vest gave me a clear view. I counted nine crescent-shaped scars. _That's not so many, is it?_

With an open mouth, he let out a roar and charged. His rage clouded his focus just as his missing arm hindered his balance. As he rushed toward me, I lowered myself and spread my arms wide. Catching his legs, I stood and closed my arms around him and spun my prey towards another boulder on the other side of the river. Immediately after letting go, I leaped into the air as he collided with the massive rock and landed on him. Within minutes, his legs and arm were no longer attached; they lay in the ravine below. Now that my enemy was helpless, and my bloodlust partially satisfied, I wanted some answers. Using my foot, I flipped him over and rested my shoe on his chest—hard.

"WHY ?" I screeched at the writhing torso whose only response was screaming, so I slapped his face. It didn't hurt, of course, but it did get his attention. His screams quieted to moans, and he looked at me.

"Why _her?_ Did you know she was my sister?" He grinned at me wordlessly. "You are going to pay," I promised slowly. "I have an eternity to see to it."

Loud, gurgling growls erupted around me, and I froze. A quick glance confirmed that the wolves had me surrounded. At that point, I was mildly surprised that they hadn't arrived sooner. If I had been alone, it might have been possible to jump over them and make it over the ravine before they got me, but there was no way I would leave my prisoner behind. They continued to advance until there was nowhere for me to go.

Holding my hands in front of me, palms out, I slowly stood up straight. "Sam? Please, let me explain. I'm not sure which wolf you are, so I don't know who to talk to. Care to phase so we can talk this over?" Hearing a huff, I turned slowly to face a large, black wolf. The other wolves parted like the Red Sea as he walked slowly toward me. Too late, I remembered to quit breathing, and my stomach lurched from the stench.

Fear formed a lump in my throat as he came closer, but I tried not to show it. To be clear that I meant no harm, I raised my hands a bit higher. I should have bowed my head as he approached, but I knew my actions were justified—there would be no bowing from me. He stopped only a foot away, close enough that I felt the heat radiating from his body.

Keeping my voice low and steady, I explained, "This vampire killed my sister." Grumbles went through the pack, but I kept going. "When I say _my sister,_ I mean my flesh and blood _human_ sister." The grumbles turned to loud snarls. Sam let out a sharp bark and the pack fell silent. "He killed her husband, too." I pointed at the vampire who looked more than a little scared. "He was feeding from her when I found him. When he ran, I chased him; that's how we ended up here. My apologies for crossing the treaty line, but surely you can see why I did. He _will_ tell me what he knows, and he _will_ pay."

Sam let out a low growl and walked away. Not understanding his intentions, I started to follow. The brown wolf I knew to be Jacob gave out a sharp bark—I stopped.

"You want me to stay here?" The wolf nodded, so I crossed my arms and waited. As my eyes followed the black wolf to the tree line, I saw my family lined up on the other side of the ravine. Knowing the danger I had put them in kept me from looking any of them in the eye.

Human Sam appeared quickly. "You told us you understood the treaty, yet here you stand on our land. We have every right to kill you."

My eyes shot to the closest wolf, sandy-colored and thin, when he let out a low snarl and looked at Sam. Jacob was beside him quickly, pushing him back with a snap of his huge teeth. If my assumptions were correct, the little doggie wanted me turned into kibble, and Jacob had just saved my life. _Wolves…I'll never understand them._

"That _is_ true," I admitted. "According to the treaty, I was wrong to come on your land, but I had to catch him. Can you honestly tell me you wouldn't have done the same if he had killed one of your people?"

"Did you do this with the consent of your family?"

"No, I chased this _murderer_ on my own. There wasn't time to discuss it; I caught him in the act. My sister lies dead up on the ridge right now. Her body isn't even _cold_ yet. Do you understand what I'm saying here?"

Sam looked at me with such a stoic face I was shocked. There _had_ to be some compassion in there somewhere. "Doctor, what she says, is it true?"

"Yes, Sam, I'm afraid so. Please understand she's young in this life, and she has just been through a great ordeal."

_Great ordeal? There's an understatement. Not only Natalie, but Yani…No! I will not think about her now. _

Sam turned back to me, shocking me with his next question. "What will you do with this vampire?"

There was only one way to answer him: honestly. "I want to make him tell me why he did this and if he was working alone." During the chase a theory had come to me. That bit of information was going to be saved for my family. "After he has told us all he can—I want to watch him burn."

Sam looked into my eyes, and he studied me. I simply looked back with nothing to hide.

"Go," he ordered. "You can take this part of him with you." He pointed to the torso. "But the rest of him stays with us."

I indulged myself in a small smile. "The rest of him is in the ravine. Don't burn the pieces just yet. They may be needed later."

Two of the wolves jumped down and came back shortly with the arms and legs. Seeing that the limbs still moved made me shiver a bit. _That could have easily been me._ My voice came out in a rasp as the gravity of the situation began to sink in, now that the danger had passed. "Thank you. Mind if I go now?"

Sam nodded then lifted his head to my sire. "Let us know what you find out. If there are more vampires in the area, we need to know."

"Certainly," Carlisle responded. "Thank you, Sam."

Tilting the torso of the murdering vampire on its side, I picked it up and tucked it under my arm with his teeth facing away from me. After backtracking in order to build up to a good run, I launched myself back over the river. Using the momentum of my descent, I slammed my prisoner down on his back.

"You are going to give me some answers NOW!"

"You wish," he sneered.

For a moment, my rage threatened to overwhelm me. A match…it would have been so easy to set a match to him, but oh, that wouldn't do. He had information—I knew he did, and he was going to give it to me. Steadying my voice, I lowered myself to him, and shoved my finger in his chest as I spoke. "You are going to suffer. Do you hear me? You killed my sister, and I'm going to make you pay."

A hand came down hard on my shoulder, quickly pulling me up and backwards. Only when I came in contact with his chest, and felt his arms wrapped around me, did I recognize my husband.

"Stop," he whispered. "I can't bear to see you like this."

Feeling the comfort of his arms took the edge off my wrath—barely. The temptation to melt into a weeping puddle in his embrace was great. Refusing to give in, I pulled away. My intention wasn't to hurt him, but while I knew I did, I couldn't think about it. This was not the time for grief. This was the time to take action.

When I finally ventured a look at my family, I didn't see the anger I feared. Their eyes were sad—sharing my sorrow—as they looked at me. Any angry glares were reserved for the one who lay at my feet. Avoiding Alistair's gaze was necessary; he reminded me of _her._ My hand pressed against my chest as I tried, in vain, to stop the searing pain.

My eyes landed on Carlisle. "We need to take him home with us. I'll make him talk."

If he was disgusted with my behavior, he hid it well. His lips pressed into a line briefly, and then looking at Jasper, he nodded. Jasper locked eyes with the vampire and walked slowly toward him. Projected anger swirled around us, and I shivered in anticipation. I would finally get to see Jasper Whitlock in action. When he was a mere seven inches away, he stopped, crossed his arms, and looked down at our prisoner.

His voice came out in a lazy drawl. "You should tell us what you know. Things will be much easier for you if you do."

"You think I'm scared? Who do you think you are?" the torso yelled.

_Moron._

Jasper cocked his head. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah," the moron answered.

Jasper squared his shoulders. The hellfire burning in his eyes was about to rain down—I couldn't wait. His next words were drawled with a deadly calm that only preceded one thing: the storm that was Major Jasper Whitlock.

"Suit yourself."

Alice's faint "uh oh" barely registered as Jasper snatched our prisoner and ran like lightning. The fierceness in his face gave me a glimpse into the bleak future of the vampire that killed Natalie. Justice was coming, wrapped in pain and suffering. Visions of what Jasper could've planned were already playing through my mind when I started to follow.

"Diane, stop!"

Carlisle's forceful tone stilled me. My rage boiled as I turned to face him. I had a good idea what he was about to tell me, but what scared me was not knowing if I would be able to handle it.

"You are _not_ to go with Jasper." Not trusting myself to speak, I shook my head violently. He held his hands out, palms down. "Diane, you are not thinking clearly. Everyone will meet at the house. Jasper will secure the prisoner and will meet us there. Nothing will be done until we decide the best course of action. This concerns more than just you."

And just like that, I snapped. My fury came out in a stream of screaming—words refused to come at first. Once I let that out of my system, I yelled, "Talk! What good is talking now? My sister has been killed! I watched him drain her right in front of me! Every second we waste means more distance between us and the people who helped him!"

My sire stood calmly through my rant and then quietly answered, "My decision stands."

Speechless, I let out a feral shriek and ran in the opposite direction from where Jasper went. Every fiber of my being wanted to defy Carlisle and follow the scent of my sister's killer, but the prospect of facing the wrath of Scott, Carlisle, _and_ Jasper stilled the thought before it could become action.

Right after I took off, they were all hot on my trail. As soon as I reached the trees, I took to the canopy, propelling myself faster and faster. Not even Edward could catch me up there. The benefit of traveling this way was that finding a scent was very difficult, and I planned to use that to my advantage.

After going north for three minutes, I went to the very top of a tall tree and jumped west and headed that way for six minutes. Making sure to touch as little of each tree as possible, I headed north again four minutes later. Knowing they wouldn't be able to find me anytime soon, I made my way to the highest spot I could see.

The sting of vengeance denied was hard to take. Without having Natalie's killer to unleash my fury on, my mind searched for someone to receive my anger. Destroying a tree was not going to cut it this time.

There was one who was to blame for all of this, and I had yet to confront _Him_. The trees began to thin as I went higher, and my jumps began to lengthen and slow me. When I reached the top of the mountain I had climbed, I stopped. Looking up to heaven, my first question came out in a long yell.

"_Whyyy?_" I pointed at God. "You allowed this! Why?" If I'd expected to get a verbal answer, I never gave Him the chance. "First we lose our children! Our parents! Our life! _Gone!_ But that wasn't enough for you, was it? Now you take Yani and Natalie from me! On the same day! Don't you think we've had enough?"

The clouds rolled by.

"Answer me!"

Silence rang in my ears.

Falling to my knees, I brought my fists down to the earth. "We thought we were making the right choice! So what, we're completely cursed now? All the years we lived by your rules, and now you refuse to hear us?" My rage, eaten away by mental exhaustion, was fading. No longer yelling I asked, "Don't our choices count for anything? Nothing on this earth exists without being created by you. Since I—a vampire—am walking on _your_ earth then that means you _allow_ me to exist. Is there no mercy for our kind?"

I became a shaking, sobbing mess. My final vent came in a broken whisper. "I still struggle, against my very nature, to do what's right. I am trying."

When my sobs eventually quieted, I stood and brushed myself off. I had to admit, that in that moment, I felt better. While I never truly expected to hear God's _actual_ voice, I knew that He had heard me. Sucking in a deep breath, I blew it out slowly and tried to enjoy the tiny bit of calm I felt. Before a minute passed, my families' whispers floated from the trees.

"That's one upset little sister."

"I tried to call Jazz, but the call won't go through."

"Poor dear, she's heartbroken."

"Just let her calm down. She'll talk to me when she's ready."

_So much for that tiny bit of calm._

Turning toward the intrusion, I growled long and low. Knowing they were still there I called out, "If you can't actually _give_ me privacy, can you at least let me have the _illusion_ of it?" I turned my gaze back to the sky and pondered all I had just said to the creator of the universe.

A faint breeze carried the scent of my sire from the west a moment before I heard him coming. I waited in silence and tried to quiet my mind.

"Diane, mind if I join you?"

Lacking the courage to look at him, I nodded. I did mind.

"We need to get back."

"I'm sorry, Carlisle."

"Getting an apology is not why I am here, but I accept it. Right now, we are all more interested in getting you home and setting a course of action." The tone of his voice was all business, and while it hurt, I knew I deserved it.

Scott stayed close to me as I ran home in silence. He waved off Alice when she tried to approach me, and for once, I was glad of his protective nature. Calling on every ounce of self-control I possessed, I entered the house wearing a calm face that was nothing more than a mask. A storm brewing inside of me.

I was about to sit in my place at the table when Carlisle said, "Clean up, Diane. We'll wait for everyone to return before we begin." He didn't look at me as he spoke. Looking down and taking in my appearance, I understood his request and quickly retreated.

Alistair's gaze followed me. Yani's death wasn't his fault, but I still couldn't face him; every time I looked at him, I saw her. Stepping through our front door, I was glad for some solitude. Somehow Scott knew that I needed a few moments alone. Vampire or human—we all have our emotional breaking point, and I had reached mine. Yani may have been gone for two months, but to me she died just three hours ago. No, I couldn't bear to be near Alistair just yet.

Standing in the shower, my sister's blood washed off of my hands and swirled down the drain. Without speaking, Scott took my clothes and burned them. I had held my sister's body to mine in a final embrace. We had stopped at the place where she and her husband lay on the way back home. At least my human family would have a funeral; they would say good-bye to a body that had been washed and freshly dressed. My final good-bye was said on a ridge, holding a bloody corpse that reeked with the scent of her killer.

Watching the bloody water swirl, disgust swelled in me as I recalled the reason I ran to the ridge in the first place. I had allowed my bloodlust to take over, and I would have fed on my own sister, plus her husband, if the murderer had not beaten me to it. A sob tore out of me with the promise of many more to follow. I shoved them down along with the pain—they had been vented enough for one day. Stepping out of the shower, I realized that only my outside body felt clean. The knowledge that I would have fed on my own flesh and blood left me feeling as if my soul was dirty, never to be clean again.

As I dried myself, a new kind of bloodlust surged through me. I wanted answers. Actually, I wanted more than answers; I wanted revenge. At that moment, I wanted revenge more than anything else in the world, and I promised the vampire in the mirror she would have it.

Standing in our closet, I simply put on the first shirt and pair of jeans my hands touched. There was no pleasure in something I usually enjoyed. The black flats were the easy choice, so on they went. Clean and barely presentable, I reached for the door. The moment my hand touched the doorknob, my mind was assaulted with the memory…

_A locked door._

_A locked door—I must get in—someone in there needs me! _

Fixing the images of the day before my mind's eye, I forced the memory away. I unclenched my hand and berated myself when I saw the crumpled doorknob. The door opened and Scott looked at me with concern.

"I heard metal bending." He looked down at the abused hardware. "Taking your frustrations out on the house?" His smirk did nothing to lighten my mood.

"Something like that," I muttered. "I'll explain later." Brushing past him, a steely calm settled over me as I made my way to the main house. Scott followed without asking any questions.

The entire family was at the long table waiting for me. This simple gesture showed that as a Cullen, my sister's murder was a concern for them all. Alistair stood against the far wall talking to Jasper who trembled slightly when our eyes met. Controlling what I was feeling wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

_Sucks to be an empath around me today._

Knowing better then to touch him, I simply said, "Sorry, Jasper, I can't help how I feel."

"Don't you worry about me. I'll deal."

All eyes followed Scott and me as we sat down. Their stares made me feel like a ticking time bomb that was going to explode—again—and although I had entered the room with a few shreds of self-control, my rage quickly bubbled up.

"Where is he?" I seethed.

Jasper answered as he took his seat, "Jacob and Seth are watching him in an old cabin. It's far enough away so he can't be heard when he starts yellin'."

_Time to get to the point_. "My sister lived in New York. It makes no sense for her to even be in the state." My hands clenched together on top of the table instead of giving in to my desire to pound through it. "This wasn't random. Whoever did this knew she is—I mean _was_—my sister. She was killed _because_ she was my sister." My voice was getting louder, so I forced myself to be silent and drew in a deep breath.

Waves of sympathy and calm washed through the room. Finding Jasper's eyes on me, I nodded my thanks.

"The police have been called," Carlisle stated in a low voice. "Charlie will be here shortly. Diane, I have to tell you that we had to…alter the wounds slightly in order to hide that a vampire was involved."

"Please don't explain that further," I pleaded.

"Does anyone know him?" Scott asked.

Edward shook his head. "None of us do, which is not unexpected."

"We searched for other scents for ten miles and found nothing," Emmett added.

Alice had been silent. Her head was bowed, eyes glued to the table, her hands clasped tightly together. Lowering my head, I could see the pained expression on her face.

"Alice?" I called. She said nothing.

"Alice?" She turned her face into Jasper's chest. With a raise of my eyebrows, he understood my silent question.

He rubbed his mate's back and answered softly, "She feels responsible because she didn't see in time to stop it."

Bella shook her head, "Oh no, Alice, don't do that. No one blames you. You know that, right?" Her eyes went to me and she jerked her head toward Alice. "Tell her, Diane."

Alice didn't move as Jasper tried to soothe her. The room was silent until her soft sob tore me from my seat. Being careful not to break it, I grabbed Alice's chair and turned it, so that she would face me. Kneeling down, I grasped the hands of my dear sister.

"Alice, please look at me." When she did, the pain in her eyes broke my heart and added to my fury at the same time. "You listen to me, Alice." I made sure to look her right in the eye so that she knew I meant every word. "Bella's right. Even though you have a wonderful gift, it's simply not possible for you to catch everything. Do you understand?"

"I should have," she whimpered.

"No, Alice. Don't do this to yourself. You are _not_ to blame. The only one responsible is the monster who killed Natalie and Bill. I do not now, nor _ever_ will, hold you responsible. We're vampires, not gods. These things, horrible things, will happen to us by the actions of others, and we can't control it." Seeing Alice in pain made me hate the one who did this even more.

My poor pixie-sister sobbed harder as I hugged her. All I could do was to continue to hold her until she reached back for Jasper. As I made my way back to my chair, she tormented herself once more. "Why didn't I see it sooner?"

Carlisle asked Alice to explain. While Jasper rubbed her back, Alice explained that she only had a vision right after she heard the scream. Edward wondered aloud how a scream could trigger a vision.

Without having to think, I knew. "The scream—Natalie's scream—is what first drew my attention. Right after that, I smelled the blood." As I spoke the words, I relived the grotesque actions in my head, and it turned my stomach. Edward winced at the images running through my mind. Putting my hands to the sides of my head, I tried to stop them.

_Sucks to be a mind reader around me today, too. Sorry, Edward._

Alice put it together for everyone else. "I didn't know Natalie, so her future wouldn't cause a vision. Only when you ran after the blood—sorry, the scent—did you decide to hunt. That's when the vision came to me."

"It does make sense that way," Carlisle mused. "At this point, the best thing we can do is inform the pack and take turns patrolling our property. Does anyone have anything to add?"

"Two things," I answered, "First, please have Chief Swan inform my parents." My eyes closed as I fought the sting that comes with wanting to cry; they had now lost both their children in the same year. "This is going to break what is left of their hearts."

No one had a response to that.

Alice went rigid. Her tell-tale blank look told us to wait until her vision had passed.

"What was that?" Edward wondered.

"More flashes. They're really starting to bug me. They're coming closer together, but still I have no idea what they mean."

Jasper frowned. "I don't like it. She's been having these flashes for over a month now."

"Still?" Edward asked uneasily. "Alice, can you show me what the others looked like?"

Several minutes passed as Alice and Edward looked at nothing yet saw the visions that had been bothering the resident seer.

"It bothers me, but I can't put my finger on the exact reason why," Edward murmured.

"Diane, what was the second thing?" Carlisle asked me.

"That monster had help. There's no reason for my sister and her husband to have been here. They live in New York. Bringing them here had to be the work of more than one vampire."

Edward nodded. "She has a point."

Emmett stood up. "Let me check out a few things." He left and then returned with his laptop and began typing away.

Having my anger barely under control was going to make my next words sound even sicker and more twisted than they already were, but I didn't care. Despite my efforts, I failed to keep the tremor from my voice. "I say we take that murderer apart piece by piece until he tells us everything he knows."

Scott's hand around mine squeezed. "Diane, you have no idea what you're saying."

Yanking my hand from his, I concentrated. _"Stop treating me like a child, Scott!" _

There was no way that he was going to keep me from what I wanted. We had practiced speaking mentally enough that we were able to jump right to the point where our vision blurred and Edward could be kept out of our conversations.

Jasper looked at us over the top of Alice's head. "No, but _we_ do, Scott, and she's right."

"_See! Jasper said I'm right!" _I shouted mentally.

"_No, he said he and I should take care of it," _Scott thought back.

Jasper, oblivious of our hidden conversation, continued. "We have to think about this tactically. If there is more to this than a simple feeding gone horribly wrong—and it looks that way—then our _guest _may have information that we can use."

"_And I'm going to get it out of that piece of garbage, Scott."_

"_Like hell you are, Diane."_

"_I need to do this!"_

"_You think it will make you feel better, but it won't."_

"Tactical…" Edward's voice trailed off as his hand traced random patterns on the table.

"_Scott, I'm not backing down on this. Don't you dare try to stop me."_

"_You have no business seeing anything like that, let alone actually doing it. What the hell has gotten into you, woman?"_

Edward's eyes followed the movement of his fingers and his head bowed in thought. "Tactical…" The room stayed silent since we could clearly see his mind was racing.

The room may have been silent, but Scott and I were still shouting.

"_You know very well what has gotten into me! As for me being able—are you blind, Scott? If I'm tough enough to take down that vampire by myself, then I'm tough enough to make him talk."_

"_You may be a vampire, but you are not a warrior. Now just stop this right now!"_

Edward's head snapped up, and he glared at us. "You may have become practiced enough with your gift to keep me out, but I can still hear that infernal humming. It is extremely distracting, and I am trying to concentrate, so for the _love_ of all that is _holy,_ can you please stop?

"Sorry," we mumbled.

Everyone waited silently as Edward thought. After two minutes and fourteen seconds he sat straight up. "They're all connected."

"Son?" Carlisle questioned.

"Janet Higgins, Lauren Mallory, and Natalie," Edward explained. "Three deaths in–"

"Five," I corrected. "Janet's and Natalie's husbands were killed too."

"Of course," Edward conceded. "Five deaths, but we need to be interested in the three main targets. The husbands were not the intended victims, I believe."

Emmett looked up from his screen and frowned. "I'm not following you, bro."

"Three separate occasions where lives were lost in a short time. The only linking factors are that they were all people known by someone in our family, and they all happened since Scott and Diane joined us." Edward ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "The only question is why."

Rosalie clicked her nails on the table. "Natalie was Diane's sister. That connection is obvious. But the others don't make sense. We saw Lauren everyday at school, but we weren't even friends. Once she left for Pepperdine, we never saw her at all."

Carlisle continued that thought. "Janet was a nurse in the ER. I saw her every day we worked together, which would only be about four times a week."

Alice slapped the table. "They were testing my vision!"

"That has to be it," Edward agreed. "They killed Lauren first because we knew her, but hadn't seen her in months. It was made to look like an accident, and it took place far enough away that we would never even think of looking into it. When Lauren's murder didn't trigger a vision–"

"They took it one step further," Carlisle added. "Janet was closer to me than Lauren was to you. The death was still made to look like an accident, and it still took place far away from our home."

Alice nodded. "Then when my sight still didn't catch it–"

"Then they killed my sister," I growled.

Jasper tilted his head. "They probably didn't plan on getting caught in the act. If I had to guess, I'd think they'd meant to take her body away after killin' her here. If they'd gotten away with killin' someone close to a Cullen, and on Cullen land, without triggerin' a vision, they would have found a loophole in Alice's sight.

"You're the only Cullens with livin' human family members, aside from Alice and Bella. Alice has never even seen her relation. Charlie and Sue are well-protected by the wolves. Thus, Natalie was the easiest target for their purpose. Goin' after her was as close as they could get to any of us without actually attackin' the coven."

"But to murder, simply as an experiment…" Carlisle trailed off. There were no words.

"Got it!" Emmett instantly had out attention. "Natalie's husband Bill was a professor, and last month he accepted a position at Cal State Fullerton. According to their credit card statement, they paid a moving company. And looking at these hotel charges, it looks like they were driving across the country. The university website says he was to start next week, teaching in the science department."

Although, I tried to stop it, a sob pushed from my throat. "That's only thirty minutes from our house. They moved to be near the children." Realizing the children had just lost two more family members, my chest tightened.

Scott asked the question we were all thinking. "Why? What does this all mean?"

"I think it means that we need to be ready for anythin'," Jasper eyes went to Scott. "Let's see what information we can get from _stumpy_ and then go from there."

I wanted in on that. "Sounds like a plan. When do we start?"

Carlisle nodded. "Jasper, I will leave that to you. Just do it far enough away as to not attract any attention. I presume you will take Scott with you."

Jasper nodded."Absolutely."

_Are they actually ignoring me?_ "Now wait just a minute," I began.

Carlisle stood up and set his eyes on me—the first time since I left the house to escape Alistair's dreadful news. "Diane, I cannot let your actions today go without mention."

There was no way I was going to sit there and be reprimanded in front of the entire family after what I had just been through!

Scott grabbed my upper arm as I started to rise, pulled me back to my seat, and held me firmly. _"If you're tough enough to chase a murderer by yourself, then you're tough enough to take whatever he has to say—_silently_. He's our sire."_

Getting my words thrown back at me didn't help at all. Without replying to Scott or Carlisle, I folded my arms and gave the latter my attention.

"What you did was extremely foolish," Carlisle chided. "Even worse, you threatened to let that _fiend_ harm you in order to keep anyone from following you. That was inexcusable. You gave no thought to what it would do to Scott, and the rest of this family, if you had been hurt or killed."

Okay, he had me there.

"There is a time for battle and even a time for sacrifice, but today was not such a time. Today you were hell-bent on revenge and wanted to exact it yourself. That kind of action is dangerous and gets people killed." His toned quickly softened. "We could not bear to lose you. _Never_ do something like that again. Do I make myself clear?"

He was completely right, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. "Yes, very clear. I'm sorry for taking off on my own, and sorry for forcing everyone to stay back, but you don't really mean that I can't help Jasper."

He held up the hand. Ugh. "_That_ is up to your husband."

Scott responded immediately. "Absolutely not."

"Fine," I shot back. After all Scott and I had been through, I felt the need to tread lightly. I wouldn't endanger our progress by going against him in front of the entire family. _He'll definitely be hearing about this later._ My head leaned against the back of my chair. Feeling like the new family screwup was wearing on me. I needed to be alone.

Alice went rigid again. The vision was brief, and she came out of it smiling. "Well, that one was easy. Someone is sending flowers here. They'll arrive Monday."

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "Flowers?"

"A beautiful arrangement, large and very expensive. Stargazer lilies and white roses," Alice cooed. "Wonder who they're from and what occasion they are for?"

My gasp brought the attention of my family back to me. "Stargazer lilies and white roses were the flowers on the wreaths at our memorial services. The P.I. team sent pictures." Only blank stares looked back at me. "Don't you see? Someone is toying with us."

Jasper stood up. "It's time Scott and I got down to business."

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "We are finished here."

Scott stood also. He offered his hand to help me up, but I ignored him. My eyes stayed on the table as I crossed my arms and waited for him to leave.

"_I'm sorry you're upset with me, but this is for the best. You're just going to have to trust me on this one."_ His mental voice was kind, which irritated me more. "Stay here," he added aloud. Then he kissed the top of my head and left with Jasper.

I sat there as everyone left the table. How dare Scott take away my chance to inflict some pain on my sister's murderer? Didn't he consider my feelings at all? Wanting privacy, I announced, "I'll be in the library." Hopefully, they all knew to leave me alone.

I should have known better.

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.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

8.24.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

As usual mega thanks to my betas. My story wouldn't be as good without them.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

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Please, please let a review! Anyone who leaves a review will be sent a teaser for the next chapter.

~MA


	16. Getting Answers

16

Getting Answers

Stomping up the stairs—loudly—I made my way to my favorite room of the house. As much as I wanted to slam the door, I was afraid of breaking it, so I closed it gently.

The library in the main house was much larger than the one in our "little" house. It held twice as many books and had more places to sit. Lacking complete control of my newborn tendencies—as I had demonstrated well today—I had not left the family property except for the meeting with the wolf pack. There was also my little jaunt today, but I refused to think about that. The libraries were one of the main reasons I had not gone completely crazy.

Wanting the comfort of reading a familiar story, I pulled out a volume of Shakespeare's works. The burgundy leather armchair looked especially inviting, so I settled myself there and found the beginning page for _The Tempest_. My attention was only held for a few pages before my mind started going over the events of the day.

I couldn't find it in me to regret going after the vampire that had killed my sister. True, I had been stupid to go alone, but it was deeply satisfying to know I had inflicted some real pain upon that animal with my own hands.

_What are Scott and Jasper doing now?_

I hoped they were taking him apart slowly. If I had my way, I knew what I would do. The best thing would have been to take his dismembered arms and legs and pop off the hands and feet. Surely the wolves would give them up for such a good cause. They could be reattached and that scum would be denied the feet and hands that would help him escape. Once the pain of healing passed, the monster could have bits of the newly healed appendages ripped from him piece by piece…

Where was I getting this stuff? This wasn't like me. Denied the act of vengeance, I let my thoughts go back to how I would do things in hopes of satisfying my thirst for revenge.

If the vampire still wouldn't talk after the arm and leg stumps were removed, then I think I would gouge out his eyes. Yes, that would do nicely. He would be blind and afraid. At that point, I would just start biting large chunks out of his back. The creep would eventually tell me what I wanted to know...

"_Enough!_" Edward bellowed. My thoughts had been so consuming that I never heard him come up the stairs. He stood in the doorway with his fists trembling at his sides. Clearly my thoughts had troubled him. He glared at me. "_Troubled_ is not a strong enough word."

"She was my _sister_," I declared steadily. "Do you understand that? He _deserves_ to suffer. Since I have been deemed unworthy of participating in the actual act, my thoughts will have to be enough. I'm not sorry for my thoughts, but I am sorry that you are burdened with them."

"Scott is trying to protect you by doing an ugly job he doesn't want you to do."

"Yeah, he told me. Trouble with that little plan is that I am not a weakling anymore. She was _my_ sister, and I _want_ to be there. He didn't even give me the choice! What if that monster had killed _your_ sister? Think about that for just a minute, Edward. What if he'd killed Alice?" To drive my point home, I thought of my sister's bloody corpse but replaced her face with Alice's.

Edward eyes flashed in anger briefly before he composed his face. Well, at least he was listening to me.

"Be honest, Edward, would you be willing to just sit here while others made him pay?"

"This is between you and Scott."

"You're right, so why don't you just leave me alone!" I crossed my arms to stop myself from doing any damage to my literary haven.

He drew in a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, Diane, he loves you and is trying to protect you. He is willing to go and do what needs to be done so you don't have to. That's exactly what he did in his human life, when he served in the military. You know him better than anyone else. Did you really expect him to act differently now? You're angry, I understand that, but your anger is clouding your reason. If you really think about it, you would agree he is doing what's right. I would do the same for Bella. As her husband, my job is to protect her."

Too angry to see the reason that Edward mentioned, I simply glared at him.

He narrowed his eyes and then said in a low voice, "Your stubbornness makes _my_ wife look like a pushover." Edward then turned and left. His feet fell heavily—for a vampire—on the stairs. When he reached the bottom he called his daughter. "Let's go home, Nessie, my little love. I am in desperate need of some _peace_."

Leaning against the window, I let out a huff. From my perch, I was able to look out across the treetops. Scott and Jasper were out there somewhere, hopefully getting some useful information. Huffing again, I turned back to the storm Prospero started and all the havoc his spirit Ariel was wreaking in The Tempest. _That Ariel gets to have all the fun._

I decided to stay where I was until Scott and Jasper were back.

_Who are you kidding? You're staying put because Scott told you to. _

Even thought I was royally miffed at him right now, I had to consider the fact that he had enough going on that he shouldn't have to worry about me doing something stupid. The benefit of actually doing this Scott's way was that I would know what Scott learned as soon as he came back.

Just because I was willing to play nice now didn't mean I was a pushover. Not wanting to argue in front of everyone was a far cry from being a doormat. Nope, this vampire was defiantly not going to let Scott's dismissal of my feelings go. I would have to pick my moment carefully. Scott was going to have to open his eyes and see the new me—and accept it.

Two days crawled by.

Shortly after daybreak on the second day, Scott came back to get Edward. If I had left my perch in the library, I would've never known. After breaking through the tree line, he went straight to Edward's and Bella's cottage. Scott looked horrible. His clothes were dirty and covered in spots and splatters of venom. That was to be expected, really. What made Scott look so different was that he had his battle face on. His eyes were black and held a dead expression, void of all feeling. He had a job to do and would stop at nothing to get it done. I knew better than to tap on the window or go and try to speak to him. He didn't give Edward much time to get ready. They made their way back over the river and through the trees only nineteen minutes after he had first come into my view.

My gaze was still on the very place where Scott disappeared when I heard someone coming up the stairs. His scent gave him away when the door opened. Although I knew the coming conversation was unavoidable, I wanted to…well, avoid it.

I didn't turn my face from the window. "Hello, Alistair."

"Diane."

"I'm sure you think I've been avoiding you."

"Actually, my dear, you have been avoiding everyone. But yes, I did notice you find it difficult to even look at me. However, I did not come to chastise you. I have come to say good-bye. There is no reason for me to stay, and my presence is obviously difficult for you."

After slowly turning to face him, I whispered, "I'm sorry, but when I look at you, all I can think of is Ya—her. Then there's only pain. Pain that I just can't handle right now."

"Please don't do that," he pleaded. "She would want you to remember the happy times you shared."

I rubbed my hands over my face in frustration. "Look, I know you mean well, but it is far too soon for that. I don't mean to be rude, but I'll deal with my grief in my own way, when I'm ready."

He nodded in understanding, but I had clearly hurt his feelings. What did he expect? He may have been special to my aunt, but I barely knew the man. Still, he had loved her. Torn between a polite response and venting the pain I felt at that moment, I forced myself to remember my manners.

"Alistair, thank you for telling me—what you did, about her and you. I would've never known what really happened to her. I'm sorry you lost her; you must have loved her very much."

"I still love her, and I always will. My silent heart had never loved before Tatiana. She forever changed me, and our single year together may have been brief, but I wouldn't have exchanged it for anything." His face twisted in pain—I could tell he was sharing a burden with me that he had never unloaded to another. "My biggest regret is keeping her from seeing you. Perhaps, if I had taken her to you, she wouldn't have left me. I would have done anything to protect her, and we all could have been spared this pain and suffering."

His grief on top of mine was too much. "Alice will get your ring-safe for you."

"No, my dear, she would want you to have it. Besides, I am a nomad and as such have no need to carry such things. I will leave it to your care and keeping."

"What about the ring?"

He shrugged. "Let the blasted thing stay hidden. Without her, it is meaningless to me." He dipped his head slightly. "Goodbye, Diane. Should our paths ever cross again, I hope it is under happier circumstances." His face told me he didn't believe that was possible.

"Goodbye, Alistair. Take care of yourself."

When solitude was finally mine again, my focus returned to my sister. Turning back to the window, I saw no sign of Scott, Jasper or Edward. I couldn't hear them either. I did see Alistair leave in the opposite direction. Aimlessly wandering seemed so lonely—poor man.

Calling on every ounce of patience I possessed, I turned back to the book in my hand. The stack of books that I had finished during my vigil was growing. During my time there, the women of the family had come in turns to check on me and entreat me, unsuccessfully, to come down to the living room and join the rest of them.

Emmett, being the protector of the family, made his way into my view each time he completed a circuit around the house every hour. Without fail, he would stop to look at me and wave. Clearly he was checking on me in his own way.

In the evenings, when he came home from work, Carlisle would ask about me. I heard him come to the door once, but he never came in or even knocked.

The sun was low in the sky that third day when the thick pillar of purple smoke broke through the treetops. Thanks to my training, I knew what it meant. Scott would be back soon, so I decided to tidy the library before I left. The books I read had been put away, and I had just finished turning the chair back as I had found it when the doorbell rang. Suddenly, I was anxious to get downstairs.

Emmett appeared in the doorway and raised his hand. "You're gonna have to wait here a bit longer, little sister."

"Why?" I demanded impatiently. "For the past two days you've all been trying to get me to come down, and now that I actually _want_ to, I have to stay?" The answer hit my nose before Emmett could explain. The sweet scent of human blood instantly propelled me forward.

Emmett was ready for my charge. He clamped his huge hands around my upper arms and looked me in the eyes. "Easy there. Now look, I know you're still stronger than me, but you're not gonna fight me, okay?" I snarled as the bloodlust threatened to overtake me. My big brother responded by giving me a not-so-gentle shake. "Hey! Listen up! You don't really want to kill anyone, do you? Think about Natalie!"

With the mention of her name, I came back to myself. Nodding my head, I stood still. We heard Alice mutter, "Thank you," quickly followed by the soft click of the front door closing. The human was gone.

"Sorry, that was a low blow," Emmett whispered as he released me.

Shaking my head, I hugged him. "No, I needed to hear that. Thanks, big brother."

He nudged my shoulder with his own. "No problem, little sis. It's clear now. Let's go downstairs."

Descending the staircase, I looked around the living room. All eyes were trained on Carlisle. He held a small red card that had come with the flower arrangement that now graced the dining room table. Stargazer lilies and white roses—just as Alice had seen.

Carlisle read the card aloud.

My dear friend Carlisle,

Congratulations on the recent gifted additions to your coven. We will expect a visit within the year. The presence of yourself, a companion of your choice, and your new additions would be appropriate. However, I would be happy to host the entire coven, if you so desire.

Aro

Esme put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "What does it mean?"

"It means," Edward growled, "that we have bigger problems than Aro wanting a visit."

Edward, Scott, and Jasper stood in the back doorway. Their appearance was expected but still shocking. They were dirty, and while Edward had streaks of dried venom across his clothes, Jasper and Scott were covered in it.

And I was okay with that.

They were only a foot into the room before Esme flashed in front of them with a determined look on her face and her finger pointing at each of them. "Don't even _think_ about sitting down, or doing anything else, until you have showered." Her tone brooked no disobedience. Without a word, the three men went to their own bathrooms. They were all back in under five minutes. Their bodies were clean and dressed, but their faces held the same weary expressions.

Carlisle took his seat at the head of the dining room table, and Jasper took his at the opposite end. Without prompting, we all joined them. When I went to my usual seat, Scott took my hand and pulled me with him as he took the place on Jasper's right. When I thought about it, I realized we had sat next to Jasper the past two times the family gathered at the table; I was just a bit too wound up to notice. Knowing the new seating arrangement meant something, I promised myself I'd ask about it later. Alice gave me a small wave from her place on Jasper's left.

Scott had yet to speak to me. His body was tense and rigid. It surprised me when he pulled me into his lap, instead of allowing me to sit in my own chair. Only after holding me tightly for several minutes did he relax his grip on me. Thinking he was finished, I started to slide over to my chair. A low growl told me I was needed right where I was.

When I leaned back into his chest, he relaxed even more.

"_I missed you, too," _I mentally whispered.

Of course, I was still mad at him, but this was not the place to hash it all out. He needed to hold me right now to ease the tension in his body and mind, so I let him. Without a reply, he buried his face in my hair. Only after breathing in deeply a few times, pulling in my scent, did he release me to the chair on his left.

Jasper let out a long sigh. "We didn't get much." He held Alice's hand in both of his tightly. "He never told us who he was working for. We think whoever is calling the shots actually _paid_ him for his services. Something very unusual for our kind, as you know. It appears he was a nomad. Only two years old so he probably needed the money."

"_Was_?" I asked—I had seen the smoke, but I wanted to hear it.

"Was," Scott answered. That was good enough for me. Still, knowing he was dead did little to ease the pain of losing my sister.

Jasper went on, "We did get an email address and the account number his payment was wired to." He slid a small piece of paper over that we passed down. "Emmett, can you hack around and see what you can come up with? I doubt you'll find much from the email address, but we have to try. The bank account number should be able to tell us something about where the money came from."

"No problem, bro," Emmett answered quickly.

"Edward, what about his thoughts—anything there?" Carlisle asked.

"His thoughts were very scattered, random things, almost like a mad man. For the most part he was thinking about what he was seeing. Things such as: 'hard rock,' 'blue sky,' and 'pretty flower.' Near the end, his thoughts seemed to be of his human family—they were dim as most of our human memories are."

Jasper rubbed his head. "That's no help at all."

"I'm sure I can find something," Emmett said.

With a jerk of his chin Scott asked, "What about that?" He looked pointedly at the red card in front of Carlisle. "We have to make a trip to Italy within a year? Is this required of everyone?"

Carlisle shook his head. "No to both questions. No, it is not required of everyone because many are nomads and such a trip is beyond their means. And, no, we do not have a year. Aro is expecting our appearance within your first _vampire_ year."

"He wants to test your gift," Edward said with distaste. He and Carlisle had already told us of the Volturi and the times the Cullens had dealt with them. Edward's instant anger was understood, and shared, by us all.

Edward continued. "Aro thinks that it is easier to _persuade_ gifted vampires to join his guard within their first year before they form any lasting ties to another coven."

"Too bad for him it's too late for that," I replied. "We are already attached to our _family_." Edward smiled at me as I stressed the word as he often did. "We want to stay here." Scott nodded his agreement.

Jasper stood and crossed his arms. "I think Aro is the least of our worries right now."

"Perhaps..." Edward's troubled gaze went to Jasper. "Perhaps we are foolish to dismiss Aro out of hand. Alice, could you…"

Giving a small nod, Alice went still—so did Edward. None of us had gifts that invited us to the party so we waited. The expressions on Alice face shifted each time she came out and went back into her psychic self, become more determined each time. When her eyes finally focused, she let out a relieved sigh. "I don't see Aro doing anything that involves us." Her nose scrunched. "Can he really spend a whole day sitting in that throne room?"

"He can." Carlisle replied. "It's his favorite place."

Tapping his finger on the table, Jasper scowled. "This vampire we questioned, _someone_ hired him. Judgin' from the scars he wore, he had been in a few fights. We already know the murders are related. That tells us someone is after us in some way." He spoke directly to Carlisle. "One way or another, a fight is comin'. We need to begin trainin' in earnest. I'm not just talkin' 'bout Scott and Diane learning the basics. I mean battle trainin', for all of us. We were lucky we didn't have to fight last year. We will be facing a different enemy this time and can't count on scrapin' by again."

Carlisle folded his hands on the table and sighed wearily. We all knew how he hated violence. "Agreed. Where and when?"

"In the clearing at sunrise."

Carlisle nodded and everyone began to leave.

Scott put his mouth to my ear. "Let's go. I need to hunt and, more importantly, some time alone with you."

After a quick hunt, we were back in our bedroom. Before the door even closed Scott clutched me tightly to his chest. Questions about the past two days buzzed in my brain, but I didn't ask any of them. My anger about being left behind like a two-year-old would also have to wait. At that moment, Scott needed to know that I loved him no matter what the past two days had required of him.

Any remnants of questions or anger slipped away when Scott pulled me into our bed and whispered, "I need you." The night passed passionately, thankfully without any damage to our room. Sadly, the same could not be said for our clothes.

By the time Scott and I made it to the clearing, the rest of the family was already there except for Carlisle and Esme. They were coming behind us. The sun would be up soon, not that it mattered to us. Vampire vision definitely went into the "pro" column of this life.

I heard Esme ask Bella about Nessie and learned that Jacob was at the cottage waiting for her to wake up. Someone named Sue Clearwater had sent food for Nessie's meals that day. I knew she wouldn't eat most of it and would inevitably have Jacob out hunting with her. Shaking my head at that little girl's power over the large shifter, I gave my attention to the day's activity.

Jasper stood in front of everyone as we sat along the perimeter of the circle. His stance was a clear indicator where his mind was at: back straight and tall, shoulders back, a hard set to the jaw. I'd seen it in Scott many times; Jasper was in military mode. In his mind, he wasn't Jasper right now, he was Major Whitlock, and he was training his troops for the upcoming fight.

Taking a seat next to Alice, I gave her a quick hug. "I see the Major will be instructing us this morning," I whispered.

Alice looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes. "Mmmhmm. The Major comes out to play when the family is threatened. The rest of the family doesn't really get it. But you do, don't you?"

"You know I do, Alice," I replied with a nudge to her shoulder.

Her face suddenly became serious. "You have no idea how good you and Scott have been for Jazz." I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant, but she tilted her head toward me as she studied her mate. "Sexy when they bring their soldier out, aren't they?" Of course Jasper heard everything and shot his wife a look that clearly said "not now." Alice simply looked at me and winked. I stifled a giggle.

"Scott." When Jasper called my husband's name, it sounded like an order. As my husband walked past me, he placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head. Without answering my questioning look, he walked over and stood next to Jasper, who gave him a quick nod in the way of a greeting.

Leaning against a tree, Edward crossed his arms. "Why do I have the feeling I just got demoted?"

Jasper's lips twitched briefly, and I swear I saw him fight off a smile. Despite his amusement, he kept his voice even. "Scott has more military experience and more tactical knowledge. You've always been Carlisle's number two anyway. 'Bout time I had one of my own." The new seating arrangement at the family table made sense now.

"Doesn't being one hundred and nine years old count for anything?" Edward complained.

"His military service alone makes him more qualified to be my Captain." Jasper's voice carried a hint of aggravation now. Clearly, he did not like being questioned about his decision.

Fighting a smile, Scott quirked an eyebrow. "Captain? Actually I was an _enlisted_ Marine."

"Well _Captain_, this isn't the Marines. What it comes down to is that fact that I need a Captain and you're it. Don't forget, you already agreed to this." The flat tone of his voice effectively ended the topic. Scott simply nodded, and with the straightening of his posture and the tightening of his jaw, he slipped into military mode himself.

Man, my husband was sexy, especially when he got his Marine on. Too bad there were no uniforms in this outfit. My man always looked good in uniform. _Focus, Diane, you're letting your mind wander._ Leaning in to Alice, I whispered, "Oooh, I'm an officer's wife now!" This got me my own "not now" look from Scott.

"_Sorry,_" I mentally apologized.

"_Need to focus,_" my Captain replied sternly.

Looking down, I took a moment to compose myself. I knew better than to distract him while he was "on duty."

It then occurred to me that this "Major and Captain" thing might be getting out of hand. We were just playing around, right? As if he could read my mind, Carlisle rose from his seat.

"Could you please explain what you will require of us today?" With that one question Carlisle made it clear that when it came to this part of our family, he had given the reins over to the most qualified, which, in my mind, made Carlisle a better leader.

Our existence was made up of many facets of the vampire nature. Most of the time, we tried to live as humans do. We Cullens worked harder at this that most of our kind. Still, there was no getting away from the beast that needed blood to survive. That's what we all called it: The Beast. We all had to let the Beast out to feed. By giving our bloodlust a name, we made it identifiable—something to be mastered and controlled.

This militaristic facet was needed now that we had to fight. The semantics of using military rank was just the coping mechanism used by our family, and it worked for us. There was a real battle coming. Jasper, the Major, was preparing us for that, and he just let the entire family know that Scott, his Captain, was the second in command. When it came time for battle, there would be no time for discussion. Orders would have to be given and obeyed, or people—who I loved—would die. Sadly, it was a lesson that I would have to learn more than once.

"Today we will focus on fightin' in mated pairs." The Major's voice, with his usual southern drawl, rang out loud and clear. "While there will be times when fightin' alone or paired with someone else will be needed; I think we all agree this is our preferred fightin' style." He began to pace and continued. "The advantages are that each pair will already have their unique method of communication and can use that to outmaneuver the enemy. Due to their gift, Scott and Diane have an advantage in this area."

He continued to pace while the rest of us sat vampire still. "The downside of fighting in mated pairs is that you'll be extremely vulnerable if your mate is injured. The trick here is to discipline yourselves to keep your focus on the enemy and allow your mate to endure all but the most severe injuries on their own." Soft growls and hisses escaped from most of us, but he went on as if he didn't hear them. "If you can't do this, then you must consider that it would be better to fight apart from your mate so that you won't see them durin' battle." Each couple moved just a bit closer together. Alice and I joined hands to fill the void, in a small way, that our husbands couldn't at that moment.

"Time to get busy. Edward, Bella, up here." While they made their way to the clearing, the Major whispered in my husband's ear. I tried to hear—no luck. Scott just smiled and moved to the center of the clearing.

"No shield, Bella," he instructed. "It's important to learn to fight hand to hand, as you know." The look on Edward's face showed that he was not happy about it, but he made no move to say anything.

At the shout of "Begin!" Scott dropped into a crouch. Edward pulled Bella behind him and they began to circle. As soon as Edward's and Bella's backs were to him, the Major looked at his wife and motioned with a finger. She flashed to the tree line. Scott lunged at Edward and was avoided. Clearly Scott was holding back, but I couldn't understand why. The trio continued to circle. Scott kept lunging without making contact. Suddenly, Alice flew from her place at the tree line and pinched Bella hard on the arm and disappeared.

Bella hissed and Edward turned. Scott took the opening and flew at Edward, striking him the in back and knocking him to the ground. As soon as Scott connected, Alice appeared again and knocked Bella down quickly.

At the Major's word, they all stopped and went back to their seats. "Point proven: never turn your back on your enemy. There is no fightin' fair; there is only fightin' to win. Your enemy will take any advantage they can. Remember, men, your wife is there to fight, too."

Next, Emmett and Rosalie faced off with Jasper and Alice. Sitting on the sideline, the hand signals they used to communicate were obvious. Mostly, the men would tell their mates to go a certain way or to move back. Jasper was a fierce fighter. He may have been leaner then Emmett, but he was fast, strong, and cunning. Emmett was sent to the ground over and over. Each time he would yell "Again!" and throw himself back into the fight.

Alice was a force to be reckoned with all on her own. At one point, with the flick of a finger, Jasper sent Alice to take Rosalie on by herself. Alice moved so fast that Rosalie never laid a finger on her. Having his mate in a separate battle made Emmett lose his focus, and Jasper took him down easily.

"Only a year off, and y'all have gotten rusty. It's not like you could've forgotten—focus! You have to trust your mate," the Major instructed. "Boys, one of the ways you can protect her is to make sure she is ready to fight. I suggest you practice as much as possible. Sparring with your mate goes against your protective instinct, so you'll have to learn to put that aside or have her train with someone else."

We went on like that for the rest of the day. Scott and I fought well together. Having the advantage of talking mentally gave us an edge. By not having to use hand signals, we didn't have to worry about tipping off our opponent like the other couples did. After three hours of sparring in the clearing, we gathered deeper in the forest.

The Major had one final lesson for us that day. "Since you will not always fight in a clearing it is important to learn to use your surroundings to your advantage." He curled his hand as he called out, "Scott, Diane, Emmett, Rosalie." We went up and assumed the starting position.

As soon as we were told to start, Scott's mental voice began. "_I'll distract them. You get up in the tree and make sure you can't be seen or heard. When I tell you, I want you to drop on Emmett."_

That made no sense to me. _"Emmett? Why not Rosalie?"_

"_Just do it!"_

"_Fine."_

As we circled, I kept my hand on Scott's back to let him know where I was. He had told me before that he preferred that.

"_Get ready,"_ Scott warned. When things were lined up to his liking, Scott launched himself over our opponents and landed on the side of the tree trunk behind them, gripping tightly to hold himself there. Emmett and Rosalie turned on their heels which put Rosalie closest to Scott. As Emmett reached to pull his mate behind him Scott silently ordered, _"Now!" _

With their backs now toward me, I shot up the nearest tree. Going high enough not to be seen meant that I couldn't see either. It was tempting to peek, but I had to keep perfectly still to not be heard. All I had to do was wait.

Three seconds passed. I could hear growls below, but had no idea what was going on down there.

"_Scott?"_

"_Wait."_

It made no sense to drop on Emmett. If I took out Rose, Emmett would be distracted. _No, I have to stick to the plan. Stick to the plan! _ I reminded myself.

Seven seconds.

"_Diane, get ready…"_

Four seconds slowly crept by.

"_Now!"_

Stepping off of the branch, I let myself fall without a sound. It was harder to hold in my growl than I anticipated, but I did. Once the scene below came into view, I spotted my target. Emmett was right below me. All I had to do was fall and I would hit him. When I neared the lowest branch, I reached out and used it to swing slightly to the left and landed on Rosalie. With the advantage of surprise, it only took me fourteen seconds to pin her arms behind her. My mouth was halfway to her neck when…

"STOP!"

I froze instantly.

Emmett had Scott pinned on the ground with his knees in my husband's back. Emmett's giant hands were around Scott's head, and a huge smile was plastered on the victor's face. With a groan, I raised my hands in surrender. We were so close! I stood up and offered a hand to Rosalie. She accepted and made her way to Emmett who scooped her up in a hug.

_Yeah, just rub it in._

Turning to go back to my seat I noticed Edward, standing next to the Major, whispering in his ear. Of course I tried to hear again—nothing, dang it. With his eyes on the ground, the Major simply nodded and turned his back to everyone. When Scott went back to his place up front, the Major waved his hand.

Scott ended the session. "That's all for today. Everyone be back here at sunrise tomorrow."

Noting that there was enough daylight left for a quick hunt, I turned to ask Scott if he would like to join me.

"Diane, I'd like to speak to you." The low voice with a southern drawl held an unsettling tone that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Being in no hurry, I walked at a human pace, and tried to figure out why he wanted to speak to me. Others had made mistakes that day, but he only wanted to talk to me. Why? By the time I crossed the distance to my destination, the rest of the family was gone. Slowly turning, his eyes still on the ground, he drawled, "Captain, you're free to go if you'd like."

My heart sank as Scott stepped away. Just as I told myself I could deal on my own, he turned again and stood behind me. I felt better only until I realized the meaning of his action. He was willing to stand with me and face a very angry Major.

Coal-black eyes snapped up and studied Scott for a second before the icy drawl accepted his gesture.

"Suit yourself."

When his gaze fell on me, I had no doubt that the Major wanted an explanation. Tilting his head, he studied me for six agonizing seconds before he spoke with slow determination. "You should have won that match. What in _blazes_ happened?"

As much as I wanted to look away, I knew it was a sign of disrespect. My voice, when I finally made it work, was barely above a whisper. "Um…I changed his plan."

There was no way he was letting me off that easy. He took a step toward me, and I had to fight the urge to back away.

"Edward relayed your conversation for me." Another step.

"No, you did not _change_ Scott's plan." Step.

"First, you _questioned_ his plan." Step.

"Then you _flat refused_ to follow his plan." Step—I could feel his breath now.

"Because of your actions, you and your mate _lost_."

You'd think I would have wised up enough at this point to stay quiet. Well, I didn't. "But it didn't make any sense to..."

"Didn't make any _sense_?" Fire flashed in his eyes, and his hands clenched into tight fists. At this point, I was glad to be a woman because I was pretty sure my gender was the only thing that kept his temper in check. While not quite yelling, he was close to it. "When you're in the _middle_ of a fight is _not_ the time to question if what you've been told makes sense! If you had one iota of se–"

"Major," Scott warned.

The Major cut him off with a low growl. "I said you could stay—nothin' more."

He turned his gaze back to me and spoke with a lower, yet steely tone. "When you're preparin' to fight, someone has to make a decision, and your mate made one. It wasn't up to you to question it. If you'd just done as he said, you would've won."

What could I say? Nothing. At his point I was just glad he quit almost-yelling. By nodding silently, my hope was that Jasper would realize that he'd made his point and leave. No such luck.

He leaned in and lowered his drawl to a whisper. "Just in case it slipped your notice, if this had been a _real_ battle, you'd both be dead. Considerin' that we do _indeed_ have a real fight comin', you may want to give what I've said some thought."

"I will," I rasped.

What he said next was a knife to my heart. His gaze drifted above my head to Scott. "Your mate doesn't trust you, not completely, and that's a real problem. I'll leave you to tend to that."

.

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

09.16.12

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Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin and SqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Hope y'all like this chapter. The first book Diane reads tells you where I got my pen name. It is not after the Disney character! Vamp-sparkly thanks to my awesome betas. Commas may be evil but you girls rock! I just set up accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Just search for Midnight Ariel and you'll find me.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

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Reviews make me so happy. Please take a minute or two to "show me some love!" A teaser for the next chapter will be sent to all those who leave a review. Don't forget to check out my Facebook page.

~MA


	17. Training

17

Training

Jasper's words left me dumbstruck; at first, all I could do was watch while he walked away. _How dare he!_ I quickly calculated my chances of taking Jasper by surprise by charging at him from behind. _I could probably get at least a bite in before he took me down. _ I swear I heard him chuckle as he disappeared from my sight.

Scott stepped around me and put his hands on my shoulders. "He's right. You still don't fully trust me—not since our change. I just don't understand why. Honestly, after all we've been through–"

Shrugging his hands off me, I took a step back. "That works both ways. You don't trust me either. Proved that earlier this week, remember? You left me sitting at the house because you didn't think I could handle what had to be done."

His eyes blazed in anger. "No, you don't get to do that. We're gonna talk about what just happened before you bring up something else." Arm crossing and glaring ensued.

_I wonder how "newborn vampire emotional disorder" will look on our divorce papers. Ugh! Quit being stupid._

As much as I hated to, I had to admit he was right. It wasn't right to bring up my issues just because I was too much of a coward to admit my mistake. "Fine," I huffed. "But first, I want you to promise me that we will _talk_." I pointed my finger at him. "No yelling. None, Scott. Not with your voice. Not in my head, got it?"

Scott nodded and sat down in the grass, so I did the same. We sat there looking at each other as we tried to gather our thoughts. The last few months had been so trying. There had been so much loss and change, and it had taken its toll on both of us and our marriage. Looking at him, I realized that not once, in all of this craziness, did I ever doubt his love for me or mine for him. I wanted—needed—things between us to be better, that much was certain.

Clasping my hands together, I offered my apology. "Hey, I'm sorry for not listening to you, for not doing things your way. It's not that I didn't trust you. I just thought my way was better."

"Umm…yeah, Diane? That would be you not trusting me." He let out a sigh. "There was not time to talk about it. You understand that, right? I mean, seriously, when it comes to this stuff—fighting, I mean—I know what I'm doing. You have to give me that much."

"True, there was no time to talk about it. And, yes, this is _your thing_." Yeah, I made the air quotes. "But you have to understand that I was already frustrated."

Scott knew I was baiting him. "So, we're already gonna talk about your stuff now?"

Absolutely. "I already apologized about today." I shrugged. "What else do you want?"

"Go ahead," he groaned.

"You had no right to leave me behind when you went to deal with the guy who killed Natalie. She was _my_ sister."

"Not only did I have the right, but I had the responsibility to do exactly what I did." His smug expression did nothing to help me keep my calm.

"You know, I'm getting really sick of the 'I'm protecting you' card, Scott."

He fell silent and seemed to war with himself briefly before coming to a decision. He scooted himself closer to me and looked deeply into my eyes. "You _really_ want to know why I didn't want you there?"

"Because you were protecting helpless little me," I retorted.

His eyes turned hard and he asked slowly, "Do you want to know?"

"You know I do."

When my husband's hands closed around my wrists, I suspected I wouldn't like where this was going. I decided to go the "show no weakness" route, so I returned his gaze with all the hardness I could muster.

"We started by putting him back together," he said slowly in a low voice. "We snapped off his hands and feet, of course, so he couldn't get away."

I allowed myself a smirk. "I actually thought about doing that exact thing." Scott's eyes widened briefly, but he didn't reply. "Ask Edward if you don't believe me," I added, just to be sure he knew I wasn't playing.

He continued as if I had not spoken—his voice cold and distant. "Did you know that when you burn a piece of a vampire's body the mind can still feel the pain?" Seeing me shake my head he went on. "It's true. We burned a hand, then the other one. Did the same with his feet, but he still wouldn't talk. He just kept screaming."

My stomach started to churn, and I considered asking him to stop. The vivid picture of my sister's dead face in my mind stopped that real quick.

"Jasper pumped that guy full of terror and guilt; he used so much I had a hard time standing it. That was when he told us someone hired him, but he clammed up after that, so we started pulling small chunks from his legs. It's not easy to do since knives don't work, so usually we just bit them off." Scott had me locked in the gaze of his angry black eyes—reliving the horrors he was describing.

"It's amazing how much pain someone can tolerate before they'll talk. He must have been really afraid of his employer—or fiercely loyal—to protect him like that. After the first day passed, and he still wasn't talking, we just started to slowly burn him without taking him apart—not that there was much left."

I cleared my throat needlessly. "That's enough, Scott. You've made your point." My head began spinning slightly; if I hadn't already been sitting, I swear I would have fallen to the ground as my mind pictured what he was telling me.

"You said you wanted to know. So I'm telling you, and I'm not done yet." I moved to pull away, and he clamped down tighter on my wrists—ceasing my movement. "It was easy to keep the fire from spreading too fast, from consuming him too quickly. We had to make sure he could still talk, you see. So one of us worked the lighter and the other held the bucket of water."

My throat was suddenly dry. "Stop…please."

"That's when he gave us the email address. It took a while longer to get the bank account number. After most of his arms and legs were gone, he quit talking. He knew we weren't going to leave him alive, not that he wanted to live like that anyway. Jasper and I knew Edward wouldn't want to have a hand in taking him apart because he doesn't have the same experience that Jasper and I do. We waited until the end to bring Edward in to read his thoughts so that when we pushed his torso slowly into the fire, we were sure to catch every last thing that went thought his mind."

My hands were shaking from my effort to stay calm as I repeated a bit louder, "You've made your point."

"Have I?" His eyes narrowed. "Have I, _really_?" Not trusting my voice, I nodded.

Muttering what sounded like "Thank God," Scott pulled me into his arms and held me until I quit shaking. When he pulled back from me, his yellow-orange eyes were filled with sadness as brushed his fingers over my hair. "I know I'm being an ass, but you have to understand. It's one thing to hurt or kill in the heat of battle. I know you can do that—you've more than proven yourself. But _torturing_ someone to make them talk is completely different and, in many ways, much more brutal."

His hands settled on my shoulders while his gaze turned desperate. "There may come a time when you have to do something just as heinous. I don't like the thought of you being in that position, but it seems to be a fact of this life right now. If that happens, I know you'll be strong enough to do what you need to." His grip on me tightened. "But as your husband, your protector, I will do _anything_ to keep you from having to do, or even see, such things. If that means I do them so you don't have to, then that's the way it's going to be…even if….even if you hate me for it."

Shaking my head, words failed me. How could I hate him? The tears I couldn't shed stung. My anger at Scott felt completely unjustified. Sensing my inability to speak, he pulled me around so my back was against his chest, and put his arms wrapped around me. He was giving me space to compose myself while holding me at the same time. He knew me so well.

His lips brushed my ear. "Can I ask you something?"

Still overcome with emotion, I could only nod.

"While we were human, you trusted me to lead our family, right?" I nodded again. "Did I ever do anything to betray that trust?" I didn't even have to think hard before shaking my head. "I took care of you and cherished you when we were human. So trust me to do the same now, all right?"

Tilting my head, I gazed at him. I was willing to give, but he was going to have to do some giving, too. "Okay, but you're going to have to get used to me fighting and doing more than just sitting around looking pretty." He growled softly, so I turned and poked him. "Really, Scott, I think I've been more than patient with you here. I may not be ready for the kind of…thing you just did, but I'm not helpless, either, and you need to accept it. Deal?"

He looked at me hard, blowing out a long breath before answering. "I have to admit, your takedown of Rose was impressive. Honestly, your fighting skill overall is very good. It's just that…I never wanted this for you. For me to have to fight and risk my life is one thing, but to even think of you…"

When Scott broke eye contact and looked off to the side, I felt a bit stupid for never considering how hard this had to be on him. His recent actions and harshness with me suddenly became transparent—and I felt even more loved than before. Still, he had to come to grips with the fact that I was no longer fragile.

"It's something you're going to have to get used to, hon."

He looked at me with sad acceptance.

"Deal?" I prodded.

"Deal," he agreed quietly.

I'd hold him to it, too. I wasn't willing to give in, but I was willing to be patient.

His face suddenly shifted as if he had a new thought. Pulling me closer, he whispered, "You know what the best part of fighting with your mate is?" His nose ghosted down my neck and back up, making it impossible for me to answer with anything other than a soft moan. I knew he was deflecting, and I briefly thought of stopping him, but what would be the fun in that? "The best part is making up, which I intend to do, _thoroughly._" With a tug on my hand, Scott led me back to the house where we "made up" until sunrise.

When Jasper called the next morning asking us to meet him in his study, I instantly grew nervous. Being in the same room as Jasper was the last place I wanted to be, especially since we hadn't spoken since _the Major_ set me straight after my training failure.

His gaze was waiting for me when I entered the doorway. "I could feel your apprehension before you even set foot in the house. Just so you know, what happened yesterday is over and done with, and there's no need to mention it again."

"Sounds good to me," I replied easily—in spite of the huge relief I felt. He changed the subject and began telling Scott about a book he had just read. However, of course, I didn't let it go. While I agreed that I had screwed up big time, I still felt that he singled me out. My eyes were taking in Jasper's study at the same time that my brain was going over what happened the day before.

Hearing Jasper sigh, I scolded myself for letting my emotions go unchecked around the empath, and I gave him a side glance only to find his eyes already on me.

"Hmm…self-pity, irritation, and curiosity. Let me guess. You want to know why I came down so hard on you?" His smug smile was totally unexpected and a little aggravating.

I studied him and the situation for a moment before deciding that I could be straight up with him since it was just the four of us. "Yeah, that would be nice to know."

"Scott is my second, and as his wife you need to have your act together. 'Sides, you've yet to reach your full potential. So, little lady, I'm goin' to be on you until you do. Deal with it."

Scott's hand tightened around mine as his eyes lifted to Jasper in a glare. Jasper simply looked back at him at him pointedly. I wondered what caused their reactions but decided against asking and went back to looking around.

The room was really more of a Civil War museum than a study, but that was just Jasper. Alice probably had lots of fun shopping for this place. Hmm…perhaps Scott should have a study. I'd ask him later. Scott pulled me to sit with him on one brown leather couch while Jasper and Alice took the other.

She rubbed the soft leather and asked, "Like them? I told Jasper we needed a little more seating up here."

Snuggling into Scott's side, I agreed. "They are comfy—very nice."

When Jasper shifted impatiently in his seat, I knew we were done discussing Alice's latest purchase and gave him my attention. "We may not know who we're up against but we can still make a few contingency plans. Speakin' of which, why don't you look in on our _friends_ again."

Alice nodded and then was silent for several seconds as she sought out the future. "Still the same. Their lives are boring really. Each day is like the last: feeding, sex, sitting around that ridiculous throne room."

"Well," Jasper added dryly, "there's always the occasional execution to break up the day."

"The Volturi?" I asked as quietly as possible. "Thought they were ruled out."

Jasper shook his head. "_Never_ underestimate them." He eyes went to his wife. "Nothin' unusual at all?"

"Nope."

"Guess that'll do, for now. Keep checking them, but don't overdo it, okay, darlin'?"

"All right, Jazz."

He looked in her eyes, and they shared one of their moments that let you know they were absolutely meant to be together. After three minutes passed, Scott coughed and Jasper chuckled at him. "Fine, on to those contingency plans."

I was confused. "If we're gonna talk strategy, shouldn't everyone be involved?"

"Carlisle is leavin' it to us for now, but that's not the only reason why we're here. I'm expecting a phone call." He looked at Alice.

"Less than a minute," she replied to his unspoken question. "At least I _think_ so. He decided to call hours ago, but he's flip-flopping. As soon as he decides to call, he decides not to."

Jasper frowned. "Great, that usually means he doesn't have good news for me. I'd call him but he tends to clam up when I do. He likes to tell things on his own time."

"Wait." Alice's vision came and went quickly. "Thirty-two seconds."

Right on time, Jasper answered his phone on the first ring. "Took you long enough."

Peter did not sound happy. "Can't you tell your woman not to watch me?"

"Nope. Talk."

"Well, I've been checking into–"

"No names," Jasper interrupted.

"What do you take me for? A newborn? I know better than to mention any names on the phone."

"Sorry, Peter, we just figured out that our trouble is pretty big and I'm a little on edge."

"Sounds like more than a little. Wish I had better news, but I haven't found out much. Especially with the distance you insist I keep from _certain_ parties."

Leaning his head back, Jasper stared at the ceiling. "I think it'd be best if you came out here for a bit, if you would."

"Didn't I do that last year? You mean I've got to come and save your rear again?"

Alice leaned to the phone. "_You_ didn't save anyone!"

"Both of you had fun, and you know it," Jasper added. "Just pack some stuff, put Char in the car, and get here."

"How soon do you need me?"

A mischievous glint came to Jasper's eye. "Can't you use your gift to figure it out?"

"I don't have a gift and you know it!" Peter shouted. "It's just a kind of intuition that comes to me once in a blue moon, and I can't just make it happen. Happens to some humans more often than it does me."

"Whatever," Jasper drawled, but the smile could be heard in his voice.

"I don't appreciate bein' the source of your amusement. Ask your wife, you know, the _gifted_ one."

Jasper looked at Alice. Her eyes went in and out of focus a few times before she shrugged. "Nothing bad in the near future. Hold on. Oh look, we're having a party for Nessie's birthday. Hey, why didn't Bella ask me to help? Look at that cake, it's so tiny! And those decorations, what is she thinking?"

"Focus, darlin'."

Alice huffed quietly. "Fine, but I'm asking Bella about this later." Alice checked her internal crystal ball once again. "Nessie's birthday is a month away and I see only good stuff up until then."

"Peter, be here in two weeks, and be careful."

"Awww, how sweet, wanna blow me kisses now?"

Jasper's smile betrayed the harshness in his voice. "Don't keep me waiting."

The next two weeks passed quickly. We spent most of our time training either physically in the clearing or talking strategy in the study—a few of these talks carried over into the living room with the entire family. We were careful to avoid talking about anything unpleasant around Renesmee, but she seemed to know something was not quite right. You could see it in her eyes when they nervously shifted around the room. The others thought they were talking over her head, but they were obviously wrong. Finally, Edward had enough one day and put a stop to all strategic talk until his daughter was out of earshot or taking a Jasper-induced nap.

Scott and I became a fierce fighting team since we used the advantage of our telepathy. After that first failure in training, I learned to trust my mate's judgment and follow his orders during battle without question. I wasn't so compliant off the training field, but that was just me and Scott accepted it. He learned to trust me to fight, even when it meant me taking a few hits and getting hurt.

During a particularly intense sparring match, Rosalie got a bit carried away and gave a hard blow to my shoulder. When I heard—and felt—the crack, I thought Scott was going to come unglued. He managed to keep calm while he checked my injury. It only took him a few seconds to unclench his fists and jaw. Poor Rose apologized several times. There was nothing to forgive as far as I was concerned. To me, it was just the cost of training to fight and win. It was also good practice for Scott to see that I could get hurt and still keep my focus. Even though Scott kept calm, he was still worried about the crack in my shoulder. He wouldn't let me do any more training that day and insisted on taking me to hunt.

"Sweetie, I'm fine. _Please,_ stop worrying," I moaned.

"If you want me to stop worrying, then you'll humor me and hunt. The fresh blood will help you heal faster. You know I'm right, so quit being difficult."

With a pout, I stomped away, leaving Scott under a tree, and found a scent to follow. After draining two elk, I returned, fully sated and surprised that I had been so thirsty. Scott was lying on the grass with his eyes closed when I joined him. After giving him a quick kiss, I copied his position and watched the clouds roll by. Propping himself onto his elbow, my mate studied me silently. The frustration on his face made me want to laugh, but I chose to put him out of his misery instead.

"You want to look at my shoulder, don't you?" Okay, so I let a small smirk creep over my lips. A girl has to have some fun.

He looked down and picked at the grass. "I just need to know it's healed properly." I scooted closer and tilted my head to give him better access. Taking the cue, he reached out and slid the neck of my shirt down to see what I already knew. Seeing that my wound was nothing more than a very faint line now, he let out a relived breath.

"Feel better?" I teased.

"Yeah, I do."

"Good for you."

He tossed a handful of grass at me. "Don't sit there like you weren't worried when I was hurt. I remember how you were after our fight with Jacob."

"That's totally different. You were seriously injured. This…" I tapped my shoulder. "…this is nothing."

He scoffed. "Did I get mad? No. I think I handled your first injury pretty well—thank you very much—so just be happy I'm willing to let you keep training." His smile told me he was trying to keep things light, but I knew him well enough to know he probably had considered ending my sparring matches—not that Jasper would let him. I still wanted to get that idea out of his head real quick.

Throwing my head to the side to look at nothing in particular, I called out, "Hey Emmett, I want a rematch!"

Scott tone went from playful to accusatory. "Diane, what are you doing?"

I propped myself on my elbows and kissed his nose. "I'm getting right back on the proverbial horse, sweetie."

He groaned.

"Remember, no more sitting around looking pretty." The roll of his eyes was the only answer I got, but I was okay with that.

Movement in the trees caught my attention. Just like I knew he would, Emmett came through the tree line with his bride. He looked much happier than she did, so I smiled at her.

"Rose, I'm fine—it's cool, really." I meant it.

Rosalie shifted her eyes to Scott and back to me. "You sure? I really am sorry. I just got really into it, you know?"

I nudged my husband. _"Tell her it's okay. She feels awful, and she didn't do it on purpose."_

Scott forced a smile. "Yeah, Rose, it's okay."

"Rematch!" I called out, pointing a finger. "Right here, right now."

"Oh, it's on," Emmett answered.

Without waiting for proper starting positions, I hopped to my feet and lunged.

We were on our third round when we heard Jasper coming. Normally we wouldn't have stopped, but he wasn't alone. Putting the fun on hold, we turned to meet our guests. While the scents were new to me, I recognized the faces from the photograph immediately.

"Peter! Charlotte!" Emmett scooped up Charlotte and twirled her around.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Put her down, Em. Go man-handle your own wife."

Emmett set the tiny vampire down next to her husband. Charlotte grinned. "Good to see you too, Emmett." Peter didn't seem bothered and shook Emmett's hand.

Jasper made the introductions. "Peter, Charlotte, this is Scott and Diane. Our newest family members." Clapping Peter on the back he added, "Peter, Char, and I go way back, as you know." Jasper's mood seemed lighter than usual and I credited that to Peter and his wife. I knew how close Jasper felt to them and hoped we could all be close.

Peter offered his hand to Scott then me. "Good to meet you. We've got some things to talk over with Jasper, so we'll catch you later." He turned on his heel and walked toward the house. I didn't like feeling dismissed, but the irritation was short-lived.

"Scott and Diane are comin' with us," Jasper replied. With a jerk of his head, we took the cue to follow him. It was a bit of a surprise when Peter stood in his way.

"Thought we were gonna talk _things_ over…" he trailed off.

Jasper didn't miss a beat. "We are, and we need them to be there. Scott's my second, Peter."

Peter scowled. "If _he's_ your Captain, then what in the hell am I?"

"You questionin' me?" Jasper raised his eyebrows in a challenge that was met with silence. "Peter, you're not a Cullen. What'd you expect?"

Peter started at Scott, who returned the glare. Each was looking for weakness in the other. I had never seen Scott have this kind of size-up with another vampire. I didn't like it. Peter's scars made me uncomfortable. Jasper wore long-sleeved shirts. While I knew his scars were there, they were mostly hidden. The short sleeves of Peter's v-neck t-shirt showed many scars, and I had to fight the urge to growl at him.

As the seconds ticked by, the tension mounted.

Without breaking the stare-off, Peter threw his hand in the air. "You can't be serious! Look at his eyes, for Pete's sake! He's still a newborn, Jasper. How can he possibly be good enough to be your number two?"

Scott stepped past Jasper and locked eyes with the newcomer. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. Jasper's seen me in action. If he thinks I'm fit for the job, that should be enough for you. But, hey, if you'd like to see how good I am, I'll be glad to show you _personally_."

This was not training. This was not fun and games. This was about pecking order and proving who the best was. There would be no holding back.

"_Scott, you don't have to prove anything to him."_ He ignored me.

I shot a pleading look at Jasper. He could put a stop to it. They'd listen to him.

Jasper simply shrugged. "There'll be no peace 'til they have it out. Might as well get it over with."

Hearing Jasper's green light, Scott and Peter stepped away from the group and faced off.

Jasper casually leaned against a tree and crossed his arms. "Peter, just so you know, whatever happens, Scott stays my Captain."

They began to circle. Each vampire's training showed as they were clearly waiting for the other to make the first move. Scott eventually feinted forward and Peter took the bait. Peter lunged just as Scott pulled back, giving him enough time to move out of Peter's path. Scott spun around and delivered a sharp blow to Peter's side as he passed.

My prideful smirk disappeared quickly when Peter landed a strong punch of his own. They traded growls, snarls, and hits for three minutes before Charlotte and I began to let low hisses escape as our mates took faster and harder hits. When cracks began to follow the hits, our hisses grew louder.

After her mate took an especially hard kick to the stomach, Charlotte stepped forward. I shifted toward her and warned her back with a growl. Jasper was between us in an instant and took us both by a wrist.

"You two get involved, and they'll _really_ hurt each other. Stay put, you hear?"

"Yes," I hissed.

Charlotte scoffed. "Fine."

Wisely, Jasper didn't believe either one of us and held on tight.

By the time they circled two more times, the rest of the family had joined the audience. Peter launched again but this time he went for Scott's feet—sending him tumbling backward. Before Scott could get back up, Peter jumped into a tree.

Just because Jasper wouldn't let me join in didn't mean I was useless.

"_Scott, he's taken to the trees. Pretend you don't know."_

Scott looked to each side of him, and turned in a quick circle as he faked looking for Peter. Just when Peter's feet came into view from the canopy, I sounded the alarm.

"_He's dropping behind you!"_

Scott side-stepped, spun around, and got a hold of Peter before his feet hit the ground. Grabbing him by the throat, he slammed Peter into the ground and got his teeth to Peter's neck.

"Enough!" Jasper roared.

Scott stood up and offered the loser his hand. That's my man—a fighter and a gentleman.

"He's gifted!" Peter swore. "That's the only way he could have beat me. Why didn't you tell me, Major? If I'd known, I'd have taken him."

Jasper looked unfazed. "His gift couldn't have helped him in this instance."

Edward flashed to my side. "Cheater," he whispered loudly—the big jerk.

Jasper's eyes snapped to me. "Well, well, maybe his gift _did_ help."

Busted.

Glaring at Edward, I crossed my arms. "It's part of who we are." I gave Jasper a small smile, and tried to rein in my smugness. "Didn't you say we should use _every_ advantage in battle?"

The gleam in Jasper's eyes told me that he approved. Then as fast as it appeared, the humor left his face and he was all business.

"Carlisle, I think it's time for Peter to tell us all what he's figured out before we plan our next move."

Carlisle motioned to the house. 'Let's take this inside."

Seeing Jasper talking to Scott and Peter, I turned to Charlotte and greeted her with a smile. "With men everything's a contest. We're better than that, right?"

She laughed. "Hell, yeah, we're better."

We linked arms like old friends, ignoring the shocked looks from our mates, and walked back to the house at a leisurely pace. They wouldn't start without Jasper or our husbands, so as long as they were behind us we had some time to chat.

Charlotte told me her side of her and Peter's history with Jasper, and I explained our gift and how we came to join the family. By the time we crossed the river, the men caught up to us. Jasper eyed our hold on each other and laughed.

"Looks like my problem's about to be solved. Ladies, take it easy on your men. I need them both." He walked away, chuckling, with his arm around Alice's waist.

Our mates wisely listened in silence as we laid down the law. No more fighting. Charlotte and I were friends now, and that meant they were friends, too. We even made them shake on it. They had refused at first, but when we threatened to get Jasper, they not only shook hands, but managed half-smiles, too.

We thought we had taken care of their testosterone-driven nonsense until Peter tried to sit in Scott's chair next to Jasper and Scott shoved him out of it.

Jasper nudged Peter toward the chair next to Alice and added, "No more of that foolishness or I'll sic Char on you." Giving his attention to Carlisle, he got to the business at hand. "A while back I asked Peter to look into a few things for us. He's here to tell us what he's learned."

"Peter, if you please," Carlisle urged.

Peter folded his hands on the table. "Well, first off, I kind of thought Jasper and I would be talkin' about this _alone_."

"Quit bein' dramatic, and just tell us what you _know_," Jasper growled.

"You sure?"

Jasper's expression darkened and his words can out rough and fast. "Didn't I just say 'Tell us what you know?' I'm pretty sure that was me, 'cuz it sounded just like me. Yeah, it was me. So talk!"

Peter put up his hands. "Okay, okay. Since we've been keeping tabs on Maria, I started with her."

"What?" Alice asked icily. "Just how have you been keeping tabs on Maria? For how long? Why didn't I know about this, Jasper?"

Jasper glared at Peter who leaned back and folded his hands on his chest. "I tried to get you alone, and you wouldn't have it."

Running his finger along his wife's hand, Jasper explained. "Alice, darlin', you know I know vampires all over the place. Well, we just call them from time to time to be sure Maria's still behavin' herself. She never even knew about it."

Alice's tilted her head as she looked at her husband. "That's all you've ever done, just _asked_ about her?"

Jasper looked at the table. "There may have been a time or two when, during our visits with Peter and Char, and we went off huntin' without you girls, we may have taken a peek at her camp."

Shocking us all, Alice and Charlotte burst into laughter.

"And you thought we never knew? There's no way I'd be fit to be the Major's mate and not know about your reconnaissance missions."

Jasper smirked as he put his arm around his wife. "Well, I guess you have a point. Please tell me you knew because of your gift and not because you followed us."

With a sly glance, Alice smiled. "Just because you have no problem risking my wrath doesn't mean I want to be on the receiving end of _yours_. I used my gift."

Peter smacked pointed at Jasper. "I told you she'd see!"

"Well, she never said so. How was I supposed to know for sure? We were careful not to decide anything till the last minute."

I had to admit, watching Jasper and Peter was quite entertaining.

Carlisle's smile said he agreed with me, but he brought the conversation back to business. "So, is Maria behind this?"

"Well, I don't know." Peter shifted in his seat.

Jasper didn't hide his displeasure. "How can you not know? You stayed an extra two weeks to find out!"

"Now hold up," Peter replied defensively. "All I said was I didn't know if she was the one responsible for all that's been happenin' here. I didn't say I knew nothin' about her."

"Is it always this hard to get information out of this guy?" Emmett asked with a laugh as he jerked his thumb at Peter.

Turning to Emmett, Jasper answered flatly, "Usually is. Annoyin' as hell, isn't it?" When he turned back to Peter, he added, "If you don't spit it out _right now,_ I'm goin' back to my original offer of knockin' you around."

"_I'd like to see that," _Scott told me mentally_._

Since he didn't bother shielding it from Edward, he and I choked back a laugh at the same time.

"Seems like there's a few here that'd enjoy it, too," Jasper drawled.

Peter put his hands behind his head. "Like it'd be that easy. I always did give you a pretty good run for your money, and you can't cheat like Scott did." _What a sore loser._

Jasper smiled. "True, but judging from the rise in irritation in this room, I think you'd have to worry about more than just me."

Looking around the table uneasily, Peter told the rest. "All right, but there's not much. Maria moved camp about two months ago. She's got this new place locked down like you wouldn't believe. With just me and Char, there wasn't much we could do to find out more."

"So you know where she is?" Edward asked. "You've seen the camp yourself?"

"Sure, but only from the outside."

Edward turned to Emmett. "Can you hack into a satellite and take a look? What information would you need?"

"Hack? Who needs to hack? Haven't you heard of Google Earth? Edward, you spend too much time reading!"

Edward smiled slyly at his mate. "You forget, I don't spend much time reading anymore."

Bella quickly pointed a finger at the biggest Cullen. "Emmett, you say _one_ word and I'll ask Diane to toss you into the wall again. I missed it the first time, and I'd gladly pay to have it fixed!" When Emmett put on his best innocent look, she turned to her husband. "Honestly, Edward, like he needs any encouragement."

"Sorry, love," Edward murmured with a smirk that said he really wasn't. Judging from Bella's raised eyebrow, she knew it. He turned to his brother for help. "Em, get back to the satellite before we both end up at the Playstation for the entire night."

"An address would be ideal, coordinates would be even better. Even a city and state would work, but it would take a little longer to nail down the exact location. I'll sit down with Peter and we'll find it."

Jasper was deep in thought as Edward and Emmett talked details. Putting his elbows on the table, he quietly said, "All I need is a general idea of what we'll be walkin' into."

Various expressions of curiosity went around the table before Carlisle asked, "What are you planning, son?"

"The only way we're goin' to get some real information is to get our hands on some of Maria's people and ask them some questions—maybe even Maria herself. With your permission, I think it's time for Scott's and Diane's first road trip."

.

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

10.14.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Usual props to my lovely betas!

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

I am currently writing an outtake of NWB in Jasper's POV. In this tasty chapter he will tell you his take on things, from the new additions to his family, to why he has allowed Scott and Diane to get so close to him. He will also tell you what he sees in the future for himself and Alice, plus his new siblings.

If you would like to read this months before it gets posted here, you simply need to make a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma society and you will get a very impressive collection of outtakes, one-shots, and original works written specifically for this cause. Details can be found at (dpt)com

P.S. - Please leave a review!

~MA


	18. Road Trip

18

Road Trip

Carlisle looked doubtful. "Jasper, are you sure? Are they truly ready to leave the property? If something goes wrong…well, you know better than anyone else here how great the risk is, especially in the South. "

Jasper's confidence encouraged me. He leaned back and crossed his arms. "They're more than ready. Their fightin' skills are excellent, and I don't see their bloodlust bein' a problem especially since…" When his voice trailed off, a mixture of embarrassment and sympathy projected through the room.

"Since Scott and I resisted feeding on Natalie and Bill? Plus the fact that I held her and didn't so much as lick her or growl?"

"Sorry," he muttered quietly.

I shrugged. "It's true—forget about it." My eyes went to my hands. "But it wasn't easy."

"Hey," Jasper said softly, getting me to look at him. "It never gets easy, it just gets less hard. You both did very well."

"How can you say that?" I asked. "Bella and Carlisle constantly smell of human. Those first two months, I had a hard time not attacking them every time they came home! It's enough to make me want to jump out of my own skin. I can't imagine how much more human scent would be around if everyone was in school right now."

"Diane," Scott chided. We had agreed never to mention the human scent issue because we didn't want anyone to feel bad—oops.

Bella looked shocked. "Wow, I'm really sorry, guys. I didn't even think about it. Charlie, my dad, came around right after I was changed, so I didn't even consider it affecting you."

I shook my head. "No, Bella, I'm not upset. Smelling humans like that was a good way for us to get used to the scent. It turned out to be a good thing. If not for that, who _knows_ what would have happened with Natalie?"

"Don't you sell yourself short," Jasper said firmly. "You were around spilled blood, and you handled it well. I know this is goin' to sound crass because she was your sister, but the fact neither of you even tried to taste her blood is huge." His voice broke when he added. "I could never have done that at your age. Not sure I could have done it that day if everyone else hadn't been there."

Hearing him berating himself riled me; I'd grown to admire Jasper. He seemed to do it often, and I was tired of it.

Apparently Alice was, too. "Jasper, stop," she ordered gently. "Your background was very different from the rest of ours. We all struggle with different things at different times. No more self-loathing, remember?"

His eyes were tight as he looked down. "Wasn't even two years ago–"

Bella smacked the table. "Jasper, so help me, if you finish that sentence, I'm going to pay Scott and Diane to gang up on you!"

"Yeah! I'd chip in to see that," Emmett added. "They still have most of their newborn strength, and there are _two_ of them."

Scott chuckled. "I don't think so."

"No, thanks," I added. "I think Jasper gets the point. So he and I are going to make a deal."

The brother I'd grown to admire looked at me in silent question.

"We'll both focus on our victories instead of our failures."

Alice leaned close to her husband. "Sounds like a good plan."

A quick nod as he gazed into Alice's eyes was my only answer, so I went on. "After Natalie…I want to say that I don't think I could feed on a human if I wanted to, but I know better."

Breaking his gaze with his wife, he looked at me intently. "Try not to worry. We'll be in the car most of the way, and if Peter's information is right, the area we'll be runnin' through is isolated. We can go around any populated areas if we need to."

Emmett looked up from his laptop. "Found it. Dude, she's _really_ in the middle of nowhere."

Jasper stood next to his brother. "Show me."

"Can you believe it?" Peter pointed. "She's back in Mexico."

"Not surprising," Jasper countered. "Why are you smiling? I don't see what's so funny."

Letting out a snicker, Peter answered, "Her camp is at the _Cerro Picacho del Diablo_."

Jasper seemed unimpressed. "Hill Peak of the Devil—fitting."

With a nudge, our guest added, "What I hear is her camp isn't on the mountain, it's _inside_ it."

"Clever," Scott added.

Stroking his chin in thought, Jasper frowned. "Hiding? That doesn't sound like Maria. She used to want everyone to know right where she was so they'd stay away. Wonder what happened? How far away is it?"

"Just over twelve hundred miles," Emmett answered as he kept his attention on the screen.

Scott gestured to the image. "I see why she chose that location. There's nothing around for miles. An occasional hiker can go missing without too many questions. Plus, it's only eighty miles from Ensenada and one hundred fifty miles from San Diego."

"Hey, easy hunting grounds. Very, _very_ nice," Peter said with a little too much enthusiasm.

Jasper's hands twitched and he growled, "Rein it in, Peter."

"Sorry, Major."

"We'll discuss our hunting logistics later," Jasper stated firmly. "Until then, just remember there's no hunting humans around here. If you're that hungry, go out with Emmett and find a bear."

"Understood, but I'll pass on the bear."

Standing, Carlisle's gaze went around the table before landing on Jasper. "I don't like this at all. Especially you, Jasper, exposing yourself to Maria—so dangerous. She may want to force you to stay or take revenge for when you left her. Are you confident you can do this without endangering yourselves?"

"I am," Jasper replied easily.

"Who do you want to take with you?"

"'Sides Alice—Scott and Diane, plus Peter and Charlotte. That leaves enough here to handle any trouble, if it should come." It didn't escape my notice everyone in the group had plenty of fighting experience—except me.

Folding his arms, Emmett grumbled about "missing all the fun," earning him an elbow in the ribs from Rose. He quit complaining after that, but his face let us all know how unhappy he was at being left behind.

Edward leaned forward and asked, "Should we expect there to be trouble? Perhaps we should alert the wolves?"

Carlisle nodded. "Edward, you can take care of that. Do your best not to alarm them unnecessarily. Just let them know to keep an extra sharp eye out. We will have constant patrols on our side, and they should, too." Turning back to Jasper he said, "Keep in touch as often as you are able." Sadness stole over our leader's face when he softly added, "More importantly, come back safely, all of you."

Jasper's arm went around Alice. "That's the plan."

Carlisle asked, "When will you leave?"

"As soon as we can change and pack an extra set of clothes," he replied. "Time does not appear to be on our side."

We all stood and said quiet goodbyes. Esme hugged the six of us who were leaving, surprising Peter and Charlotte. She tried to put on a brave face but failed to keep the sadness from showing in her eyes.

Within the hour, we were on our way. Piling into the rented Suburban made me grateful for the space, but I would have rather taken Bella's Ferrari; she never drove it anyway. Too bad there weren't enough seats for the six of us in there. Maybe we could take a girls' trip in it sometime.

No matter how fast we went, my eyes easily took in every detail of the passing scenery, and I thoroughly enjoyed our first drive since my change.

Conversation flowed easily between the six of us, now that Scott and Peter seemed to be getting along. I could see the six of us passing the years pleasantly, but I knew Peter and Charlotte were nomads and could never settle down the way we had. I hoped we would get to see them at least a few times a year.

Because of the sun, we drove to the border and ran from there since night had fallen by then. To run such a long distance felt wonderful. My spirits rose with each passing mile as I realized how easily we could travel now. One day we'd be able to see the children.

_But only from afar—always from afar. _

Suppressing a sigh, I focused on the task at hand. Jasper had put his faith in Scott and me, and I wanted to prove that we deserved his trust.

Without warning, Jasper brought us to a stop. "We're about fifty miles out, so we'll be running into a patrol soon. Time to split up. Diane, you're with Alice and me. Scott, you're with Peter and Char." He paused, eyeing the men skeptically. "Can you two _handle_ that?"

Peter rolled his eyes dramatically, "I can't believe you just asked that. We're on the job—of course we're good."

"I'll hold you to that. Scott, Diane, obviously we'll be usin' your gift to communicate." His eyes shifted to Scott then me, and we both nodded our understanding. "I don't know how many patrols she's runnin'—they'll be in teams of two—but we need to capture one of them and learn what we can about Maria's security. Whoever snags a team first will let the other team know and we'll meet at the cave."

Scott's account of how Jasper handled his last prisoner flashed through my mind. I had to admit, without the rage to fuel my sadistic side, I wasn't sure I wanted to see how far we'd go to get the information we needed.

After taking two steps away from us, Jasper stopped and turned around. "One more thing. When the time comes to ask the questions, let me and Peter take the lead—just watch and learn unless I say otherwise. Things here in the southern covens are very different then what you're used to. The scars Peter and I wear give us instant respect and fear from the enemy."

Peter scoffed as his eyes went over Scott. "Just another reason _he_ has no business bein' your second."

Jasper gave Peter a shove. "So much for 'we're on the job,' huh? Knock it off. We don't have time for this nonsense."

Another over-the-top eye roll. "Just sayin'."

"Well quit _sayin'_ and move out!" Seeing Jasper's irritation, I doubted Peter's sanity for pushing him like that.

Scott grabbed my hand when the others turned to go. He may have been trying to hide his worry, but I read his face easily. He squeezed my hand, keeping our display of affection quiet. _"Be careful, and stick close to Jasper."_

With a quick return squeeze, I silently replied, _"I will. Try not to worry about me—focus on being careful yourself."_

Watching Scott go was painful, but it struck me that this was a first for him. As a human, I had sent him off into harm's way many times. He had never had to send me into a situation like this. With a frown, I realized that our gift would probably require us to separate for things like this while other couples stayed together. Pushing the thoughts aside, I did my best to put on a brave face and keep my mind on the job we were there to do.

Our path took us toward the trees, while the other group was to circle around and approach from the other side. Seventeen minutes after we broke through the tree line, the scent of two unknown vampires hit us—we froze. Following Jasper's silent order, I took to the tree branches while he and Alice split up and tracked the scents from below.

From my perch, I watched in fascination as Jasper took down his target in one swift movement as if he were a ghost; the other guy never saw him coming. Hearing the cry of his partner, the second man ran toward Jasper. Two well-placed leaps through the trees positioned me directly above him. Dropping silently, I landed right on top of him and we tumbled over each other. Each of us snapped and snarled while we struggled for dominance. Before I could get the upper hand, the jerk bit me twice. I followed my training, using the pain to focus me. Three good hits later, I heard a satisfying crack. I might have gotten carried away and took his head prematurely if Alice hadn't arrived and jumped into the fight. Less than a minute later he was face-down in the dirt with Alice perched on his back while I ripped his arms off personally. I was undaunted by his screams because his venom burned in my flesh.

"That's what you get for biting me," I sneered. "Perhaps you'll get your arms back if you cooperate." _But I don't think so. _

Alice eye's raked over me while she kept her foot squarely in the back of our black-haired captive whose face was down in the dirt.

I answered her unspoken question softly. "Twice, but I'm fine."

A wicked grin crossed the pixie's face. "Probably shouldn't tell your man you were bitten. He'll just want to kill this one _very slowly._" Her mouth turned down into at a pout as she added, "Then we won't learn anything." The vampire under her foot quit struggling after that.

Jasper walked toward us holding his armless prisoner with one hand at his throat. Hearing his captive hiss, Jasper shook him once and squeezed tighter until the hiss cut off. "Alert the others and tell them to meet us."

"Will do," I said and I jumped high into the trees, not because I needed to, but Jasper told us to always do what we could to keep our gift a secret from those outside of the family. Once the ground disappeared from my view I called to Scott.

"_Scott, we've got them. Jasper says to go to the meeting place now."_

His answer came quickly. _"See you soon."_

Relaying the message earned an approving nod from Jasper. "You two are quite handy." His eyes drifted to where my hand rubbed the stinging bite on my arm, but he didn't say anything. Turning his attention to his wife, he drawled, "Darlin', I left his arms back there, if you'd be so kind."

Alice turned to me. "Here, you hold this one. Just put your foot right here." Satisfied that I had the one on the ground firmly under control, Alice retrieved the arms. Wordlessly, she proceeded to dig a twenty-foot hole so that all four arms could be buried deeply enough to hide the scent.

Before her job was done, the guy under my boot was dumb enough to growl in protest, so Alice hit him with his own arm before tossing it in the hole. "Be nice and you may live to dig these up later," she said sweetly. Yes, Alice was truly a frightening little monster.

Jerking his chin at me, Jasper squeezed the neck of his prisoner tighter. I copied him and pulled the black-haired one to his feet by his throat.

Jasper's gaze went to each of the armless men in turns as he warned, "If you run and make me chase you, I swear you won't live long enough to regret it. Now move." Seeing them stumble, I figured Jasper was using his gift to keep them from struggling too much.

We made it to the meeting place without further complaint from our captives. Eventually the vampires we held would be missed—we were on borrowed time. Entering the cave we scouted earlier, Jasper launched into his plan. He put a hand on each of the armless men and they both fell over, knocked out cold by a heavy dose of calm that made me stumble back. Once he was satisfied that they would stay out, he sent Alice out to make sure we weren't followed.

Jasper looked at me intently. "A word to the wise. I know you're tryin' to hide them, but he'll _find_ those bites. After bein' separated during a stressful time, it's in our nature to check our mates and care for any wounds. Don't put up a fuss and just let the man tend to you. We've got a job to do and I need him focused. Got it?"

I knew better than to argue, finally. "Got it."

He gave me a quick nod, and we fell into a comfortable silence. I wanted to know what Jasper has planned for our guests, but reminded myself that questions were not necessary. I would find out soon enough. I was pulled from my thoughts when Alice returned with the other half of our merry band right behind her.

Scott was in front of me the moment after our eyes met. I knew he'd smell the foreign venom on me immediately and was proven right when I watched his eyes go black as he let out a low growl. His gaze flickered between me and Jasper.

"Take her outside, and be quick," Jasper ordered.

Immediately, Scott led me from the cave. Pushing up my sleeve, he growled louder when he saw my first bite—still weeping with the jerk's venom. Instinctively, he sucked out the poison in three long pulls—spitting it on the ground in disgust. I tried to stay quiet but hissed at the pain anyway. The burn left with the venom, and he gently sealed the wound with his tongue and watched until the bite was completely closed, leaving a crescent-shaped scar that I would wear for eternity.

Remembering Jasper's advice, I didn't make Scott search for the second one. I turned and lifted my shirt to uncover my left side, wincing when the fabric pulled away from the venom-coated skin it had fused to. The injury was large because after he bit, the jerk twisted and pulled, leaving a long, gaping wound.

"I'll kill him," Scott promised in a seething voice, before repeating the healing process. The pain was worse as he removed the venom and I had to grip onto his arm to keep myself from pulling away. I knew my whimper would only fuel his wrath, but I just couldn't keep it in. After he finished—despite my assurance there were no other injuries—Scott ran his hands along my body checking for any more damage.

"Hon, I'm okay now. We need to get back."

His black eyes snapped to the cave, and he took off with a roar. By the time I reached him, Scott's hands were around the neck of the dark-haired, and still unconscious, prisoner. His hands slowly closed around the neck causing tiny cracks to appear as he growled, "You will _never_ touch her again."

"Stop!" Jasper commanded. Scott glared, but Jasper stood firm. "I know what he did to her, but our mission comes first, understood?" Scott's hands left the jerk's neck and grasped his shoulders instead. "Peter, grab hold of the other one, so I can wake them up."

Alice, Char and I lined up behind Scott and Peter. We were not to speak unless absolutely necessary. Being the least skilled of the three women, I was standing in the middle.

After his eyes flickered from his prisoners to me, Jasper drawled, "Sis, you remember how mad you were when we made you miss out while we took care of Natalie's killer?"

Failing to keep the irritation out of my voice, I answered, "Of course I do."

"Well darlin', I'm about to make that up to you."

Now that they were physically restrained, Jasper pulled his calm away and the armless men began to struggle. Jasper shocked us all with a loud snarl that drew all eyes to him. Keeping his gaze on the two on their knees, Jasper slowly removed his shirt. The effect was instantaneous. Everyone took an involuntary step back—save Alice—and our prisoners let out hisses of fear. I knew the scars were there—I'd seen them peeking out of the edges of Jasper's sleeves and collar. His ravaged neck was always on display, and it was just the tip of the iceberg. Many marked him, and few lived to tell the tale. But to see them—so many—accompanied by the fierce expression, was the most frightening thing I had ever seen.

The Major's voice came out low and menacing. "Now, I'm goin' to ask you a few questions, and you're goin' to tell me what I want to know."

"Who _are_ you?" the brown-haired vampire asked quietly.

A wicked grin was followed by, "Me? Oh, I'm nobody. Why don't you tell me who _you_ are?"

Silence.

"Looks like we're goin' to have to do this the hard way."

The moment I caught a flicker of concentration on Jasper's face, the armless men began to cower and shake. Jasper stepped closer and they tried to back away, but Scott and Peter held them firmly.

"Names!" Jasper demanded.

"I'm Kevin and he's Jose. He only speaks Spanish," the black-haired one replied.

"How old are you?"

"Eight months," he replied proudly. His tone confused me until he added, "We are some of the oldest of Maria's hunters."

"Don't try to impress me because I truly couldn't care less," Jasper replied coldly. "How many patrols are run each hour?"

"Two," Kevin whimpered.

"When are you due back?"

"By first light. Please, don't send us back there late. Just kill us if that's your plan."

"That right?" Jasper's face showed no compassion. "I'd ask why, but I'm sure I already know. The ole split and scatter, huh?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought." He shrugged carelessly. "Not my problem. What's the best way in?"

Kevin shook his head violently. When Jasper pushed out the second gust of fear, I trembled. Alice took my hand and steadied me, helping me endure. Kevin cowered lower before answering, "For an outsider, there isn't one. There is only one tunnel and it's guarded by four of us at all times while the other four patrol or feed. Even if you make it past us, no one gets near Maria without going through Fernando and the _defensores_."

Jasper's face stayed cold. "Defenders? My, how civilized that sounds. Tell me about these defenders."

Another shake of the head earned Kevin a hard blow to the side of his head, that left an array of cracks, and a touch from Jasper that turned him into a sudden fountain of information. "Four men—all over a year old and highly trained—stay just outside of Maria's chamber at all times. There are eight defensores total; very few are given the honor. The other four go wherever Fernando goes."

"Who's Fernando? Her second?"

Kevin nodded. "She calls him her Major."

Hearing a growl was not surprising; the fact that it came from Alice wasn't either. Her husband glanced at her, shaking his head slightly, and she fell silent, but fury stayed etched on her face.

"What happened to Roger?" Jasper asked slowly. I made a mental note to ask who Roger was later.

"I have never heard of him."

"Has Maria had anyone doing missions in the US?"

"The only time anyone here leaves Mexico is to hunt in San Diego. Only defensores cross the border. Maria likes to go there, near the Marine training camp. She says they make good vampires, young and strong."

Scott's teeth snapped together, and a low growl slid through his teeth. I agreed with him.

Jasper stayed silent, his brow furrowed in deep thought, arms crossed. His index finger began tapping.

"No!" Alice shouted. Jasper glared at her, and she quit talking but shook her head several times. More silence and tapping—Alice shook her head again. This went on for several minutes before I figured out that Jasper was deciding on different courses of action, and Alice was telling him his plans wouldn't work.

Thinking about what Kevin had told us, I mulled things over myself. Several times, during our training, Jasper stressed the importance of knowing the enemy. My mind went through all the facts I knew about Maria. Jasper had been her second for decades…before that she was with Nettie and Lucy, but she had disposed of them via Jasper. Now her second was Fernando...plus Jasper's replacement that came before Fernando…

Wait.

So obvious! Could it _really_ be that simple? A plan formed in my mind; I went through it three times but was careful not to decide to do it. Perhaps if we sold it just right, my plan would work. Convincing Jasper and Scott was going to be an uphill battle—they would both be against it. Knowing what I did about Maria, we'd have to appeal to her twisted point of view. Yes, it could work. There was really only _one_ person in this cave who could walk in there unscathed and only _one_ natural choice to go in there with her. The more I thought about it, the better I felt about our chances.

Jasper's eyes snapped to me. Apparently, my enthusiasm and hope had reached him. Narrowing his eyes at me, he silently demanded an explanation. Discussing strategy in front of our guests was definitely a no-no. Closing my eyes, I pretended I was in charge and decided exactly what I would do…

The vision came fast. "Yes!" Alice turned to me with a huge smile and spoke quickly. "That will work. Our guys are not going to like it—think I'll leave the explaining to you, good luck with _that_." She began to bounce and tilted her head toward me. "She has a plan."

Jasper looked back to me, and I nodded and then looked pointedly at the armless vampires.

"Remove their heads," Jasper ordered calmly. With quick movements from Scott and Peter, the headless bodies hit the ground with soft thuds. Peter dropped the head from his hands immediately with a third thud. After a beat of silence, the cave filled with an array of cracks and shrieks as Scott crushed the jerk's head in his hands. Jasper shot him a fierce look and my mate merely shrugged.

"What? He'll fuse back together…eventually."

Jasper's eyes snapped back to me. "Talk."

My sudden boldness with the Major surprised even me. "I want your word you'll hear me out _completely_ before you say no." His shoulders tensed and he gave a single nod. My boldness almost faded when Scott and Peter turned to look at me, but I pressed ahead.

"We're here to gather information and avoid an all out battle if possible, right?" I pointed to the vampire rubble on the floor. "These guys don't know the important stuff—only Maria does. Well, Maria will never talk to _you_ truthfully, not even under duress. She fears you, Jasper; actually she fears your power, but she doesn't _respect_ you because you're a man. She views all men as possessions to be used for her benefit." Jasper shifted on his feet but kept listening. "She started her coven with Lucy and Nettie but later ended them. That left her the only woman in charge when she had you and Peter. Every vampire you've ever mentioned having any kind of rank under her has always been male. In all the years you spent with her, did she ever let another female live past her newborn year?"

The Major's stance stayed rigid. "No, and I don't like where I see this going."

"There's only one here Maria will listen to—the woman who _controls_ Major Jasper Whitlock. I looked at Alice. "Can you convince her that you do?"

"No!" Jasper shouted fiercely. "I won't have it!"

Since I was already in up to my neck, I figured I'd finish myself off. "And the only one who can go with her is her sister who controls the Major's Captain."

Scott crossed his arms. "Absolutely not!"

I glanced at Peter who stayed very still and quiet. He seemed to be taking in everything and thinking it over. Whoever thought he would be the most rational at a time like this? Perhaps he was just the smart one.

Jasper walked between the other two men and slowly stalked my way. "You know I don't like bein' here, but it's needed. That's doesn't mean that I'm willin' to take foolish risks." He pointed at me. "If you think, for one minute, that I'm lettin' Alice or you near her–_no!_" His projected anger was expected and very uncomfortable.

Alice laced her fingers through mine in a gesture of support—or to keep me from running, I wasn't sure. When her husband looked at our joined hands and narrowed his eyes at his wife, she softly said, "Jasper, you said you'd let her finish before you said no."

Both of our husbands glared at us, but Jasper spoke. "Fine, finish."

Refusing to back down, I returned their expressions. "If you both will just turn off your _man_ for a moment and think about this _logically_, you will see why it has to be this way. Charlotte may be a much better fighter than me, but she can't go—she escaped Maria to be with Peter so she'll be viewed as a weak woman who ran after her man. Maria doesn't respect that. It has to be Alice and me—we can do this."

Taking my other hand, Charlotte looked at all three men in turn. "Look, you may not like this—can't say I do either." I looked at her and she held up her hand. "Sorry, Diane, I'm just being truthful here. But, you three have to admit, right now we don't have another plan and what she says makes a whole lot of sense."

"Come on, Char," Scott moaned. "I thought at least you'd be reasonable. You know what Maria's like."

"Yes, I do," she replied flatly. That's why I know Diane's right."

All three hours before dawn were spent with the men trying to find any other plan that would work. By the time the light came to the mouth of the cave, I decided that the next person to dare call _me_ stubborn would be set ablaze immediately.

We waited another two hours before patrols were sent out to find Kevin and Jose. Four more twenty foot holes to separate arms, legs, heads, and torsos—and my abject lesson on the infamous "split and scatter" was complete. Even if we wanted to kill them, which we didn't, the smoke would have given us away. Splitting up as before, both patrols were taken out; one per team. More holes were dug and filled with vampire parts.

After we were done, I gave a shudder at the thought of being subjected to Maria's punishment. Charlotte told me it would take years for the parts of a vampire to come together on their own when buried this way. By the time a vampire was whole again, they'd be too weak to hunt and would have to just lay on the ground, weak and defenseless, until an unsuspecting meal came along. Thinking of my family, I sent up a quick prayer of thanks that Scott and I had not fallen into the hands of a leader like Maria.

If the information we had was right, Maria was down to two hunters, eight defenders, Fernando, and herself; a grand total of twelve. Jasper said the odds were better now. "Just two each," he offered. Alice's visions still didn't show it ending well, so Jasper began to resign himself to what he dubbed "Diane's crazy scheme."

An hour later, we sent Kevin back, without his arms, carrying a note requesting Maria's presence in the middle of the _Desierto de Altar_ if she wanted to see her missing men again.

Jasper and Scott grilled Alice and I relentlessly before finally agreeing to my plan. We established signals, and we girls had to promise to leave the moment Jasper gave the sign to move out. As the daylight faded, Jasper's and Scott's irritation grew.

After keeping his silence for hours, Peter finally put his two cents in when Jasper let out a frustrated growl. "Easy, Major. The girls have this. I _know_ this is goin' to work."

Jasper's glare made Peter take a step back. "Easy to say when _your_ wife will be with you while ours are out there with that vile woman!"

Peter surprised me by getting right in Jasper's face. "Now just wait a minute, brother. Char would be there if it was best for the mission, but it's not. How can you say such a thing? She fought beside us both in Maria's hell—she's no coward."

Shoulders slumped, Jasper rubbed his face. "Aw, I'm sorry, Peter. I didn't mean it like that. You're right. Char has proved herself. I'm just worked up is all. I never wanted to have to see Maria again, let alone put my sister and mate anywhere near her."

Peter forgave Jasper, who apologized to Charlotte for saying such nonsense. She let Jasper off the hook with a wave of her hand and a smile. She was so easygoing, it was clear what Peter saw in her.

Once things were smoothed out, the men went back to grilling us some more. Jasper, Scott, and Peter were spitting out instructions so fast, it would have made a human's head spin. We barely had enough time to nod in response to one of them before another one would start.

"Don't let her stare you down. Look her in the eye and show no fear. The first few minutes are all psychological. She has to see that you are the dominants in the group."

"Alice darlin', you have to act as if you're in complete control—no matter what. Diane, remember to let her lead, do exactly what she tells you. Back any play she makes immediately. I mean it. Do not hesitate."

"If you don't sell this, really make her believe it, this will never work."

"Remember, we're lookin' for information. The more she talks, the better chances we have of getting' it. So if she starts blabberin' on about how great she is, just let her go."

"I don't care what happens; do _not_ agree to go into her camp."

Jasper had the last word. He eyes shifted between Alice and I as he shook his head. "I still can't believe I'm lettin' you two do this. If the plan goes bad, we fight until we end them all. There'll only be the four to start with, and we take the rest as they come. I'll deal with the consequences later. Nothin' is more important than all of us gettin' back home in one piece." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Remember our signals. When I say it's time to go, then we leave. Got it?"

Alice took her husband's hand. "Jazz, this will work."

He grimaced. "Alice, your visions don't always pan out in situations like this. They depend on decisions bein' made, and that _woman_ will change her mind on a whim."

"You and Scott will be right there with us."

"Quit tryin' to get me to say I like this; I don't. Once this is all over and we're home, then I'll like it—maybe."

He looked at me. "Nothin' personal, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for that. I was about to cry 'cuz you hurt my wittle feelings."

At least that got a small smile out of him.

Within an hour of sundown, both sides of our little gathering were slowly approaching each other across _Desierto de Altar_ with the goal of meeting in the middle. Located between the U.S. – Mexico border and the northern tip of the Gulf of California, the Altar of the Desert was flat for at least forty miles in all directions. There would be no sneaking up on anyone out there.

On first sight of Maria, my anxiety hit, and I looked at Alice who was the picture of calm and control. Internally, I was beginning to panic. _What was I thinking and why did any of them listen to me?_

She didn't look at me but spoke intently. "Don't ask me to look again. We can do this. Time to channel our inner witch."

I scoffed softly. _Does Alice even have an inner witch? _I was about to find out.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

10.14.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Happy Beta Appreciation Day to all of my super-awesome betas SqueakyZorro, Evil Pumpkin, and Kherisma (((hugs))) to you all.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

I am almost finished writing an outtake of NWB in Jasper's POV. In this tasty chapter he will tell you his take on things, from the new additions to his family, to why he has allowed Scott and Diane to get so close to him. He will also tell you what he sees in the future for himself and Alice, plus his new siblings.

If you would like to read this months before it gets posted here, you simply need to make a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma society and you will get a very impressive collection of outtakes, one-shots, and original works written specifically for this cause. Details can be found at .com

~MA


	19. Answers in the Desert

19

Answers in the Desert

Maria didn't look like I'd expected—petite and thin, her size belied just how deadly she really was. She wore a cream-colored, loose-fitting blouse with colorful embroidery and ruffled cuffs over dark brown slacks. Raven hair hung loosely around her shoulders, fluttering wildly in the breeze. Her beaded sandals and large gold hoop earrings were the only giveaways that she was not on her way to a business meeting. Add a pair of sunglasses to cover her red eyes, and if I had passed her on the street when I was human, I would have never guessed she had been the cause of so much death and destruction.

As we drew closer, the stories Jasper and Peter told me of her raced through my mind. She enjoyed death and war excessively, and I briefly wondered if her brain had been damaged in her transformation. She walked with the air of royalty, as if the entire world revolved just for her—she had all the ease of one walking along the beach for a stroll rather than meeting with those who had taken several of her men during the past twenty-four hours. Though she wore an easy smile, her eyes took in every detail of our group. I could see the same calculating look I had found in Jasper's eyes when looking for weakness in another.

No introduction was needed for the one who stood on Maria's right. As much as Maria's look was the opposite of her reputation, Fernando's appearance screamed _lethal. _Not only was he massive, his jet-black hair hung in a long braid that had been pulled in front of his left shoulder. He was dressed in a black leather jacket, no shirt, tattered jeans, numerous scars, and a fierce scowl that never changed the whole time we were there.

Alice and I walked with our backs straight and our heads held high. Me being on her right side indicated that she was in charge. Seeing Maria's "I own the world" demeanor, I put a little more effort into my own and arranged my face into one of careless indifference. A smile was a bit beyond me at that moment. While I knew it was just for show, having Scott directly behind me in a submissive position was extremely uncomfortable. Jasper held the same position behind Alice, and if it bothered her, she didn't show it. The breeze was blowing toward us; we needed it to stay that way for a few minutes longer to keep surprise on our side.

The sand glimmered in the moonlight, and our skin took on a subtle gleam. Being out in the middle of nowhere was enough to keep our secret safe. Aside from the vampires, there was nothing else to look at. Given the circumstances, the wide-open space was quite comforting.

Maria and Fernando each had a man behind them in similar submissive positions. Our groups were twenty feet apart when Maria stopped. I followed Alice's lead when she did the same. During the brief silenced that followed, while each group sized up the other, I had an overwhelming urge to look back at my mate. Thankfully, Scott reassured me just in time.

"_You're doing fine."_

Alice popped her hip to the side and crossed her arms in a move that would have made Rose proud. Her voice came out cool, calm, and slightly sweet. "So, you got my note, I see. Nice of you to join us. You also followed my instructions. Four on your side, just like the four on mine—very good."

My mind quickly went to Peter and Charlotte who were on the prowl for any more patrols. Perhaps they were digging more holes right now. It sure would swing the odds in our favor if things went bad. _Please, don't let them go bad._

The devil woman's sinister laugh captured my attention. Her thick accent and barely broken English were expected. Her over-confidence was not surprising either. "My men you have are valuable, but not irreplaceable. I was merely curious to see the ones stupid enough to come into my territory." She put her hands on her hips, looking us over with disgust. "Tell me why I should not kill you right now."

My sister's voice became sickly sweet. She tilted her head and looked at Maria as if she were as harmless as a bunny. "Oh, you wouldn't want to try that. I'd hate to have my coven end you." Alice flashed an evil smile, and I joined her. Maria scoffed loudly, but Alice continued as if she hadn't. "I simply came for a friendly little chat. You see, someone has been doing some _nasty_ things in my territory, and rumor has it that you might know something about it. So I thought I'd take a little trip and talk to you myself. Answering a few of my questions would be a lot less messy than a fight. Besides, dear, you have no idea who I am or what I am capable of."

Maria's smiling glare stayed firmly in place, and she gestured to her right. "Do you see my Major? He is truly _magnifico_, no?" She ran her eyes over his hulking form, and as if he felt her stare, he lifted his chin slightly, showing pride in his mistress's appreciation. "No one is stronger or faster than him. He could end you all by himself; I would not even have to dirty my nails, so do not make idle threats."

Here it was—time to play the trump card. Alice gestured to me. "This is my sister, Diane." I met Maria's eyes when they shifted to me, and I gave a slow nod, which she returned. "Like you, we like to find strong men to do our bidding. But, dear Maria, your Major is no match for _my_ Major or _her_ Captain." Alice snapped her fingers. "Boys, show yourselves to our hostess." Jasper and Scott moved around us and stood at our flanks.

When Maria sucked in her breath and cursed, I smiled wider. Her eyes bulged slightly as she gazed at Jasper—the longing painfully clear. For a moment, she seemed mesmerized and forgot anyone else was around her. With a whisper of, "My Jasper," she took a step forward.

Seizing the moment to truly sell our story, I hissed loudly, and Alice growled, "_Mine!_" We both crouched just a bit to make it clear we would fight if we had to.

Maria froze, and her grin faded, just a little. Her twisted way of thinking respected the fact that Jasper belonged to Alice, no matter how much she might want him. We only had to prove we were as twisted as she was so that she would know we _deserved_ the men we owned. Giving a quick glance to each of them, I was a bit startled to see the guys had their battle faces on.

With a steely voice Alice warned, "Do not take another step near him. Do not speak to him. Consider yourself lucky that I am letting you _look_ at him." Suddenly changing emotions like a mad woman, she laughed loudly as she turned to Jasper and glided her hand down his arm. She draped herself over Jasper's shoulder as if he lived for no other purpose. Unmoving, Jasper kept his eyes straight ahead. Using a sultry tone, Alice asked, "You don't want her talking to you, do you, pet?"

"Hell, no," he gritted out through clenched teeth.

"And why is that, my Major?" Alice purred as she stroked his cheek.

"I belong to you," he replied darkly.

Maria's reaction was amazing. Her eyes grew wide and followed Alice's every move.

Knowing she held Maria's attention, she sauntered in front of Jasper, looked at Maria as she circled, and whispered in his other ear. "Would you end her if I told you to?"

He grinned evilly. "_Nothin'_ would stop me."

Alice stepped directly in front of Jasper, her back completely exposed to him. My confusion at this move only lasted a moment. "I know he spent many years with you. Tell me, Maria, in all that time, would you have ever turned your back to him?"

Maria's only answer was to stare.

"Hmm, I thought not. You see, while he could take my head right now, I have no fear of him. He would never hurt _me_. I can stand like this without fear because, unlike you, he truly belongs to me and will do anything I tell him. So any ideas you may have of taking what is mine can leave your pretty little head right now. Are we clear?"

Stepping back to her original place, Alice tilted her head to me. "Diane's man was trained to fight by Jasper himself. Scott is every bit as deadly, I assure you."

Time to play my part. Taking a step back and to the side, I locked eyes with Maria over Scott's shoulder and ran my finger along the edge of Scott's ear as I whispered, "You would rip them all to shreds for me, wouldn't you?"

"Absolutely," he answered coldly.

Maria's eyes were on me now as I let out a small moan and ran my fingers down Scott's arm. "What if I told you I wanted the big one's head? It would look lovely on my mantelpiece."

Scott's lip pulled up in a snarl. "You would have it."

Moving back to my place, I added, "We don't control such strong men without being able to handle _ourselves_, trust me."

"Come on, Maria," Alice cooed. "Do we really need the unpleasantness of fighting? All I want is to ask you a few questions."

Maria decided to test us. "You think I do not know of the Cullens? I knew Jasper ended up there. You are not the leader of the Cullens, Carlisle is."

Alice waived a dismissive hand and gave the story we practiced. "Carlisle is the just the figurehead, but I give the orders. Do you think he would be any match for _my_ Jasper?" She let out a sigh. "No, Carlisle does what I tell him. He's there for appearances because of his friendship with the Volturi."

The flicker of fear in Maria eyes at the mention of the feared coven was not unexpected. Jasper had told us of their treatment of Maria in the past. She'd be a fool not to fear them—and that is a label that didn't fit the Mexican vampire at all.

Seeing the doubt on Maria's face, I decided she needed a push. "Aw, Alice," I mocked, "I don't think she wants to talk to us. Perhaps she needs some motivation."

With a tilt of her head, Alice spoke her first signal word, "Gentlemen?"

Jasper and Scott each took a step forward and let out fierce growls while Jasper sent a burst of fear. Fernando and his mistress shuddered slightly, releasing scared hisses, but quickly controlled themselves when Jasper let the fear fade to a small undercurrent. Pointing a finger at Fernando, Jasper stepped forward again. Fernando barely got his foot off the ground to answer the challenge before Maria's hand snapped out to restrain him.

Maria's eyes flickered from Jasper to Scott when she said in badly-feigned calm, "Training so many new men would be a bother. What questions do you have for me? I give no guarantee I can answer everything, but I will share what I know."

Moving to Jasper's side, Alice patted him on the arm, and he stepped back and resumed his place—never taking his eyes off Fernando.

Alice smiled. "Now that we've reached an understanding, let's get down to business."

The actual questioning took less time than expected. Once Alice convinced her that we were a force to be reckoned with, Maria was very forthcoming. Fernando didn't seem to be happy with the information we were being given, but he never said a word. A few times after Maria would answer one of Alice's questions, Jasper would shift his heel in the sand. This was our cue to press for more information.

I was sure that Alice had several more questions when Fernando began to grow restless. His eyes repeatedly scanned the edges of the dessert—I didn't like it. Apparently, neither did Jasper. With his hands clasped behind his back, he extended a single finger. Scott did his part instantly.

"_Diane, Jasper just gave the signal to get out of here. Alert Alice."_

Without missing a beat, I twisted a strand of hair around one finger. Alice confirmed what she saw stealthily when she asked me, "Dear sister, do you have any questions for our new friend?"

Translation: Did I miss anything?

Putting on my best face of boredom, I replied, "No, but she'd better be telling us the truth."

Translation: No, get us out of here!

"I am," Maria spat. "There is no reason for me to lie to you. You are not here to take my land or my men, so what do I care what happens where you live? I have told you what I know." Her smile grew wider. "Perhaps I can persuade you to come back to my camp where we would be more comfortable?"

Alice shrugged as if she didn't have a care in the world. "I've no time for such things." She looked at me, and I nodded. "I guess we're done here. If you send Kevin with us, we'll show him where all of your men are. Be happy we didn't burn any of them. Consider it our act of goodwill."

Maria clapped her hands together. "I like you, Alice; I like both you and your sister. Seeing another coven run properly makes me happy. Your Major, and his Captain, are in capable hands. It is good for men like them to be handled firmly by women who know how."

The menacing undertone in Alice's voice told me she was glaring at Maria just like I was when she warned, "You just stay on your side of the border, we'll stay on ours, and everything will be fine between us. How's that?" Waving a finger she added, "No more hunting in the U.S. for you."

"I can live with that," Maria replied. "Kevin, go with them and get your brothers put back together. Be quick about it."

Resting my hand on my hip, I added, "One of them may be a little hard to put together. He tried to put his hands on me, and my Captain—well, he didn't like that so I allowed him to…express his displeasure."

Maria shrugged a shoulder. "That's too bad for the fool who didn't know his place. The pain of his healing will be his punishment."

After brief goodbyes, our lines backed away slowly, keeping sight of the other until we had enough distance for a clean getaway. I didn't begin to relax until we were back across the border and in the car. We were all pretty quiet for the first hour, but as everyone began to unwind, the conversation flowed easily again.

Scott kept a pretty close eye on me but never mentioned what we had just done. Thinking he was waiting for me to break down, which I felt no need to do, I made sure to keep my face and tone pleasant and upbeat. When we crossed the Washington state border, I was fairly certain our conversation about our little mission would be kept between the two of us. Still, I worried that Scott would be angry with me for thinking up something so insane.

By the time night fell again, we were all cleaned up and relating the details of our trip to the rest of the family at home. Jasper hadn't got to the bulk of the information we'd learned when Emmett let out a loud huff.

Crossing his arms, he actually pouted. "Man, I missed all the good stuff! I would have paid some serious money to see Alice and Diane pull that off! Jazz, you've got to promise to take me and Rosie along on your next little adventure."

"Adventure!" Jasper spat with a scowl. "Em, I swear, sometimes the things you say make no sense at all."

The biggest Cullen would not be deterred and scoffed. "Oh please, you _know_ they enjoyed it." He pointed to Alice and me, who were sitting next to eat other. "Just look at 'em! They're trying to hide it, but I can it see in their faces. They had _fun_."

Feeling all the eyes in the room turn to us made me uncomfortable, but Alice and I kept our cool.

"We simply did what had to be done, right?" Alice asked as she nudged me with her elbow. The truth was we _had_ enjoyed it.

"Right, Alice." Doing my best to walk the line between truth and total honestly, I continued, "When I thought of the plan, I really wasn't thinking about enjoying it." _True so far._ "We had to find a way to talk to her that didn't involve any purple smoke since we didn't want a war on our hands. So we took care of business and made it happen." _Still true._

The twinkle in Emmett's eyes was unmistakable—the big jerk. "Yeah, uh huh. Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't enjoy it."

I shrugged to appear at ease. "You want me to admit I enjoyed it? Fine, Emmett, I was happy when we all walked away—just because it worked—what's wrong with that?" _Okay, now that's stretching things just a bit._ The trickle of guilt I felt did not go unnoticed.

Jasper's eyes were boring into me now, but I didn't look at him. His gift let him see right through us. I had the feeling Alice would be hearing more about this later. Scott looked from him to me and he pressed his lips into a line. Looked like I would be hearing more about this later, too.

"The point is," Jasper began with a harsh look at Emmett, "we got some good intel, and we all made it back in one piece. Maria says she's not the one causing all that's being goin' on around here, and I believe her."

"You do?" Bella asked, with wide eyes.

Jasper held up a hand. "I don't believe her because she's honest. She lies easily. I believe her because her emotions would have given her away if she were lying. She's too volatile to really control them. Not to mention, she was pretty taken with our _leaders_." He motioned to us with a smirk. "By the time we left, I think she may have offered an alliance between our covens."

Rose whistled softly. "Wow. Okay, I have to know. How did you pull _that_ off?"

"Actually, you were our inspiration, Rose." Alice smiled so sweetly, I can't believe I managed not to laugh.

"Do I get to share what we learned, or not?" Jasper's sudden volume brought silence.

Scott motioned with his hand. "We're listening, Major."

When Scott used that title, Jasper took the cue that he was getting wound up and lowered his volume. "After Peter left Maria, she replaced him with a new man whose name was Roger." Seeing Peter's eyebrow raise, he added, "He was created after you left. She chose to let him live past his first year because not only was he good at her way of life, but he actually liked it." Jasper's eyes hardened and went to the floor. "By the time Peter showed up five years later, Roger was so good, I was pretty sure Maria had plans to end me. But he was never able to take me down, not once. I think that was holding her back. She wanted only the best." He shuddered as he remembered his dark past. "She'd have us fight every week, just waitin' for him to take me."

Alice smiled at him when he slipped his arm around her. "You never have to be that again, remember?"

His only answer to her was a quick squeeze of her waist. "Anyway, she never mentioned him, and there wasn't a safe way to bring it up. She only talked about Rujillio, who I can only guess was made after I left. Rujillio must have replaced Roger—he always was a cocky one. He probably didn't last long with Maria's games."

Peter tightened his grip around his wife's shoulders. "I know _you_ took the brunt of that stuff. Her other seconds must have, too."

Jasper went on without answering. "She said Rujillio left suddenly, which isn't surprising; Maria claimed not to know why—delusional woman. But when she spoke of him, there was a fair amount of fear there."

"She fears _you_, and with good reason," Scott offered. "It only makes sense that she would fear him, too, doesn't it?"

"True, but there was somethin' more to this. I felt her determination when she stopped speakin' about him, so I didn't signal for Alice to press for more. Fernando, the leather-wearin' linebacker, moved up when Rujillio left last year."

"What's Rujillio's gift?" Edward asked.

Jasper leaned back and took Alice's hand. "He can make others loyal to him. I don't think he can do it to just anyone, or he would have taken over completely. Maria did say she destroyed everyone once he left her and started over."

Alice and I glanced at each other. To play our part, we had ignored our turning stomachs and praised her for that move because she said it with such pride. We both deserved an Oscar for that alone.

Playing with Alice's fingers, he mused, "Somethin' still doesn't sit right. I've never seen her so dug in before. Her whole camp underground—she never hid when I was around."

Scott leaned back to meet Jasper's eyes. "She's still maintaining a newborn army. With today's technology, she has to be more careful. If the Volturi found out what she was up to, she'd be dead."

"I suppose you're right." The empath's eyes went to his father. "Carlisle, you've been quiet, but I can feel what's goin' on over there. You're pretty upset. I didn't like it one bit, but we had no other option—unless we were prepared to fight—which I wanted to avoid as much as you. Plus, you have to admit, the result was good."

Like that day in the study, Carlisle looked stressed to his limit. "Yes, the results were good, but the risk was…unacceptable."

Anger sprang out and snapped back within a few seconds. By this time, we had been around Jasper enough to know that his anger had flared, and he reined it in a little too late. Good thing I'm not an empath; I didn't have to try so hard to hide the anger I suddenly felt at my sire. Scott's tightening hand told me he was in the same place. We'd made the best of a bad situation, and his criticism felt deeply personal.

"Unacceptable?" Jasper rasped. "You knew where we were going to get information from Maria. I told you we might end up talking to her in person. You said you were okay with that."

Carlisle's eyes were filled with worry as he scanned the three couples who had just returned. "To have Alice and Diane talk to her like that—she could have killed them."

"You know we would've _never_ let that happen." Jasper may have reined in his gift, but his voice turned hard. "We talked this over; you _agreed_ to let me handle this. What did you want me to do? Ask nicely?" As if he suddenly regretted his harsh tone, Jasper stopped and softened it. "We've spent many peaceful years together—and I am deeply grateful—but it can't always be that way."

"Son, I did agree to let you handle this. My concern is that we are not sacrificing our values."

Despite Alice's whispers to stay calm, Jasper stood from his seat. Before his intentions were clear, Edward flashed in front of him with his hands raised.

"Jasper, calm down."

"Edward, just because you can read my thoughts doesn't mean you know if I am in control. The fact that you'd even think, for a second, that I'd hurt that man is insultin'. Now, I'm gettin' _real_ tired of bein' second-guessed. Please, step aside."

He paused a moment too long, and I felt Scott shift in his seat. Jasper had become his closest brother, in every sense of the word, and he would be quick to defend him on the battlefield or in the living room—even against Edward.

With a side-step out of the way, Edward apologized. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Closing the distance between them, Jasper put his hands on Carlisle's shoulders. "I know how you hate violence. I may not be proud of my past, but it gives me the experience to handle things like this. I'm willing to do these things, so you don't have to." Carlisle began to speak but Jasper's hand shot up.

_Whoa, never thought I'd see the day someone dared give Carlisle "the hand."_

Jasper's smirk softened the gesture. "We got the information we needed, all of us came home alive, and we weren't forced to kill anyone. That makes it successful in my book."

Carlisle nodded wearily, the burden of leading our family showing on his face. His eyes scanned the room and suddenly froze on me. It took a moment to realize what he was looking at. My sleeve had ridden up, uncovering my crescent-shaped souvenir from Mexico. Pulling it down, I quickly said, "Scott took care of it." When Edward groaned, I knew he had seen the treatment of my other injury via my traitorous thoughts.

_Hey, Edward, I think we've had enough for tonight. No one else needs to know right now._

He nodded, allowing me to relax. When he tensed again, I thought he'd changed his mind.

"His timing really stinks lately," Edward murmured as made his way to the door.

Hearing Jacob's greeting, Renesmee sat bolt upright from her Jasper-induced sleep and leaped into his arms. "Jacob!"

I looked at Jasper, who just shrugged at me. Of course, he woke her so she could visit with the wolf. He tried to downplay it, but the soft spot he had for Renesmee was as big as his home state of Texas.

"Hey Nessie," Jacob said as he hugged her. While it was sweet, all I could think of was how she'd need a bath. I got the whole imprinting thing and how he'd be whatever she needed starting with an uncle-type figure, but that wolf-stench was just too much.

Nessie looked up at the large shifter and pouted. "I haven't seen you for three whole days!"

To see him shrink under the tiny voice was comical. "Aw, I'm sorry, Nessie. We've been real busy."

Now he had everyone's attention. Eyeing the child in his arms, his eyebrows drew together and he looked at Carlisle. "We've had…a visitor. The scent has been all around La Push, but we can't catch whoever it belongs to." Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a small plastic baggie holding a sprig of leaves. "We wanted to know if anyone here recognizes our guest."

Edward took the baggie and sniffed. After shaking his head, he passed the baggie to Carlisle who repeated Edward's action and passed it along. After making its way around the table, we were unsettled to learn no one, not even Peter and Charlotte, knew the vampire that had been sneaking around the reservation.

Leaning back in his seat, Peter tapped his fingertips together and said quietly, "A single nomad isn't the bad part."

"Not until you toss it on the pile with everything else. _That's_ when it gets bad," Emmett added.

Jacob looked down at Renesmee, who had fallen asleep in his arms, and ran a large hand over her head.

_Man, wish I had a Jasper when my children were little. Naptimes would've been a breeze._

"We'll keep patrolling," he whispered. Letting out a long sigh, he offered the precious girl back to her father. "I've gotta go." His gaze lingered on the girl. "Hey, you mind if Seth hangs out here when I can't? That way I'll know right away if, you know, I'm needed for anything. I'll tell him to stay out of your way. He'll probably spend most of his time crashed anyway."

"That would be fine, Jacob," Edward whispered back ask he took his sleeping daughter.

The tension was temporarily broken when both shifter and father wrinkled their noses slightly at the scent of their natural enemy, only to catch each other in the act, and step away sheepishly. Had I not been so on edge, I probably would have giggled, but given the situation, I couldn't find it in me.

After Jacob left, our family parted for the evening. Each couple retreated to their room or favorite outdoor space. While saying their good nights to each other, I heard Scott and Jasper whispering conspiratorially about needing to show their wives who was _really_ in charge. The smile that broke out across my face refused to be stopped as I anticipated a very good evening ahead. Scott, who was _definitely_ in charge that night, did not disappoint me.

The sunlight that poured into our room the next morning found Scott and I lying quietly together, fully in tune to each other after a passionate night.

Scott finally brought up the subject he'd avoided since we came home when he traced the long scar on my left side with a gentle finger. "Jasper should've let me torch the one that did this to you."

I smiled in an attempt to keep things light, not wanting to spoil the bliss we were lost in. "That wasn't part of the plan, Captain. I'll bet the jerk's still in quite a lot of pain. It will take weeks for his head to heal completely."

His gaze into my eyes deepened. "Ah, yes, the plan. _Your _plan, wasn't it?"

I braced myself.

Moving his hand to my face, my mate brushed his nose against mine lightly and pulled back with a smile. "I'm really proud of you. I know, I was royally pissed at first, but that's because I didn't want you put in danger. Your plan really turned out to be a stroke of genius. Not to mention, you did a great job being my _mistress_."

Giving him a gentle shove, I rolled my eyes.

The playfulness left his gaze. "Really, you handled it all very well. Even this." He tapped my scar. "I think I was more on edge than you."

Failing to think of a smart comeback, I spoke from my heart. "Thanks, hon, your praise means a lot to me."

He shrugged. "You seem to have a knack for it. I don't think Jasper, Peter, or I would have ever have come up with something like _that_." Scott offered me his hand after he got out of bed. "Come on, my little strategist, we should get going for the day."

After the quiet walk, our morning peace was abruptly broken when a spiky-haired tornado met us before we reached the door of the main house. Stopping short, almost colliding with me, her eyes went over both of us, from head to toe. Letting out a huff, she was gone again.

I looked at my husband. "Uh, sweetie, did I make some kind of fashion faux pas?"

Scott shrugged. "You look fine to me."

Entering the living room, we were unnerved to hear said tornado pounding on Rose's door. "Rosalie!" she yelled. "Get out here right now and let me see what you're wearing!"

Jasper sat in the middle of the sofa, arms crossed, wearing a dark expression as he gazed in the direction of his wife's tirade.

"What's with the fashionista firestorm?" I asked with a grin. "Someone hide her Vogue collection?" My smile faded when his answering glare told me my humor was not appreciated.

"This…" the empath gestured to his wife as she flew passed us and back again "…all started when I got dressed. She took one look at me, ran out of the room, and started carryin' on about what everyone's wearin'." Lifting his eyes back to Rose's door, his raised his voice purposefully. "She won't tell me _why_, but her emotions are all over the place."

Alice's head popped over second-story railing. "I'll tell you when I know for sure! Just give me a few more minutes." She disappeared from sight, and the banging and yelling began again. "Rosalie McCarty Cullen! You show yourself right now or I'll break down this door!"

The door opened and a very angry Rose snapped, "What do you want, Alice? My nails are still wet! Would it have killed you to wait five more minutes? No, it wouldn't have _killed_ you because you're already _dead_."

"Grey sweater and stonewash jeans, of course," Alice wailed. "By the way Rose, that joke quit being funny a few decades ago."

When Edward entered the room, Alice flew down the stairs and eyed his clothes just as she did ours. Suddenly, Alice looked even more distraught, and Jasper groaned.

"Darlin', I can't take much more. What's got you so upset?"

"Bella, where's Bella?" Alice flitted out the door and back in again. "Edward, where's Bella?"

"Bella took Renesmee and went to visit Charlie and Sue. Seattle, remember? They planned the trip two months ago, you know that."

The panic in Alice's voice put me on edge. "What was she wearing?"

"Alice, calm down. It's too late to have her change even if she's wearing what you deem a fashion disaster." Edward's chuckle and flippant remark only served to tick my tiny sister off.

With only a low hiss as a warning, she lunged for Edward and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "Tell me! What's she wearing? I need to know!"

Jasper got up, but Scott was closer and pried a very angry Alice off her brother. After a brief struggle, she was set next to her husband, who wrapped his arms around her tightly.

A wide-eyed Edward murmured, "Her favorite Levis and a pink, long-sleeved t-shirt, happy?" He shook his head and muttered, "Evil little monster."

When Alice began to tremble, Jasper took her by the shoulders and demanded firmly, "Alice, honey, you're startin' to rattle me, actin' like this. Now you tell me what this is all about."

"They're all the same," Alice whimpered.

"What are, darlin'?"

"The clothes. I don't understand. What does it mean?"

"Stay with me now. What about the clothes?"

"They're coming closer and closer now." Alice slipped in and out of her gift quickly. "That's the third time this morning."

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "You're sayin' the clothes we're wearing now–"

"Are the same—the exact same—as in my flashes."

.

.

.

©2011 Midnight Ariel

10.14.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Super sparkly thanks to my betas **SqueakyZorro, EvilPumpkin **and** Kherisma. **While I still struggle with those evil little commas, I am learning and it is thanks to you.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

My inspiration for the scene with Maria was _Killer Queen_ by Queen. I can hear it in my head as she walks to met the Cullens.

~MA


	20. Ugly Surprises

20

Ugly Surprises

After quick instructions for me to stay with Alice, Jasper was on his feet, calling for Esme and asking where Carlisle was. Hearing that he'd left an hour earlier to go to the hospital, Jasper scowled. Our leader absent, Jasper turned to Carlisle's second. "Edward, this can't be anything good. I say we start running double patrols right now."

"Agreed." Edward called out in a tight voice barely above his normal volume, "Everyone downstairs, please. We may have a problem."

Using our natural speed, the entire family flashed to the living room in what would have been a flurry of blurs to the human eye. Edward explained Alice's visions and Jasper's desire for patrols. Each couple drew a little closer together, but stayed silent. He then gave the floor to Jasper.

Standing in the middle of the room, our expert strategist laid out his plan. "We'll divide into two teams: Alice and me, Scott and Diane, Peter and Charlotte—we'll take the outer patrol. His eyes went to Peter.

"If you're stayin'."

"You know it."

"Thanks."

"Hey, brothers in arms and all that."

Jasper nodded. "That leaves Em and Rose, Edward and Bella, and Carlisle and Esme to patrol close to the house. Each half is to have two people on patrol at all times. We'll have to coordinate with the wolves to make sure there aren't any gaps between their territory and ours."

"Rosie and I will take the first go 'round on our side," Emmett offered.

"Thanks, Em," Jasper replied. His gaze went to his wife, who was still in my arms. "Darlin', does that change anything?"

"No," she whimpered. Using her gift, she went rigid again. "The flashes haven't changed."

"Peter, Char, take the first outer patrol—stick to the edges of our property for now."

"Will do," Peter answered. Peter and Emmett left with their wives. Not having a clear picture of what we were up against made me nervous for them.

Edward turned to Esme. "Call Carlisle and let him know what's going on, please." After she left, his eyes went back to Jasper. "Bella and Renesmee will be in Seattle by now. She has Charlie and Sue with her. I want my girls here, but don't want to leave her father and Sue unprotected, which means they would have to travel back by car. I think they're safer staying where they are." He ran his hand through his hair and I shared his anxiety at the absence of the two most important people in his life.

"Didn't Jacob go with them?" I asked. "Bella mentioned that he was planning on it. Between the wolf and Bella they should be safe."

Edward shrugged. "When she left, she didn't know if he'd be willing to go and leave the others to pick up the extra patrols. Seth should be around here somewhere; I'll step out and find him."

The words had scarcely left his lips when the front door blew open with a bang, putting a hole in the wall that Esme would not be happy about. A boy, who I guessed by his lack of clothing to be Quileute, ran into the room. I wondered which wolf he turned into.

Dark brown eyes danced with excitement. "Edward! We got him!"

"Calm down, Seth. You got who?"

"The vamp we've been tracking. Sam and Quil just snagged him. Sam told me to ask you to come and read the dude's mind. He wants to know if he's traveling alone."

I wasn't the only one who noticed Jasper twitch.

"Gladly," Edward replied. "Just give me a minute."

"Sure, sure. I'm gonna phase out front and let Sam know. I'll wait for you out there, but hurry okay?" Seth was almost to the door when Edward stopped him.

"Seth, did Jacob go with Bella or is he still at La Push?"

The young man grinned. "Jake went with Bella and Nessie. He was all paranoid about the vamp and said he wanted to keep an eye on everyone. Probably just needed his Nessie fix."

Edward's low growl caused the boy to put up his hands. "I didn't mean it like that, chill."

"Thanks, Seth. I'll be out in a minute." When the door closed, Edward shifted his eyes back to Jasper. "Yes, you coming is a good idea, but you really should stay here."

"Interrogations are more of my specialty, don't you think?"

Listening to the exchange, I wasn't sure if Edward was pulling rank or not. Jasper seemed unfazed.

"That's true, however–" Edward froze for three seconds before sharing with us. "Seth just phased. I can see the nomad through the pack mind. Quil's eyes, I think. Blond hair, human drinker, muscular build, his chest is bare save for an open vest. He's dressed like the one who killed Natalie and Bill. Jasper, he has more scars than the other one. I count at least twenty but can't get a clear view."

Jasper let out an angry growl before speaking. "Get out there to Seth and tell him they need to remove his arms if they plan on holdin' him for a while."

Tensed as if to run, Edward's fist clenched. "No! He just got away from Quil. They're chasing him. Seth has been ordered to stay here and keep us from going."

We all let out growls of frustration, save Alice. I could feel her tensing regularly as her visions came over and over, but she never made a sound.

For the next four minutes Edward gave us a play by play of the chase. According to Jasper, the nomad was making his way to the ocean, and if he made it that far, he would get away. "Quil just got his teeth into an arm. The nomad's down. I'd better get over– No! Stop!"

He raced out the door. "Tell them to stop, Seth, we need to question him."

Jasper followed him out. "What's happenin'?"

"They've caught him again, but have torn him apart. Wait! Seth, tell them to stop. No, he's not covered by the treaty, however – no!" Edwards was yelling now. "You can tell Sam Uley that he is the most stubborn of you all! Jacob would have been more reasonable!" A moment of silence as followed by a murmured, "Good idea, Jasper. Quil, would it be too much trouble to ask you to save his _shirt_?"

Four seconds ticked by before he spoke again. His voice was cold. "Tell Sam I said thank you. I'll be there shortly to get it."

We heard all three of them run off, and I hoped a fight wouldn't break out. The wolves made me nervous—I'd be a fool if they didn't—but they had been our allies in the past and could be again. Less than a minute later, a lone set of footsteps approached. When Jasper came back into the house, the anger that flooded the room made me hiss and tighten my arms around my sister as she froze. She didn't need to feel anything but love from her mate right now.

"Mangy mutts!" he spat.

With Alice curled up in my arms, Scott was the only one to approach him. "Please, tell me they weren't stupid enough to burn the nomad."

Pacing the room, Jasper let loose a fresh wave of rage, and Alice whimpered softly. Keeping my mind on Alice, I struggled not to do some yelling of my own. Jasper was losing his focus.

"Of course they burned him!" Jasper's shouting only fueled my ire and made Alice tremble. "Sam! That irrational, hotheaded dog! Never _occurred_ to him to ask a few questions. Wasted no time tossin' a match, did they? Of all the stupid, ignorant—doggone it! We could've gotten some answers; now we get nothin'. I'm fixin' to high tail it down there right now. What in blazes were they thinkin'?"

Scott saw me open my mouth and warned silently. _"Watch it. Jasper's gone Deep South now; he's really ticked. Be careful."_

I was a little too worked up to care.

"Jasper, stop!" I ordered. He froze with his back to me, and Scott went rigid. Jasper slowly turned, and I squared my shoulders, ready to meet the fiery eyes that snapped to me. Refusing to let the Major's glare stop me, I said the one thing that would break through his wall of wrath. "Alice needs you, and your anger isn't helping."

Instantly Jasper's rage dissipated into nothing. He appeared beside his bride and gently gathered her into his arms. "Darlin', I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinkin' clearly." Instinctively she curled into her husband's side as he continued to whisper apologies and endearments. When their eyes met, they lost themselves in each other and their own kind of wordless communication for several seconds. I went to Scott in order to give them a bit of space. Jasper's brow furrowed as he pulled back and whispered, "Alice, listen to me. I want you to stop searching the future for a while, you hear? You need a break."

"But—I—I," she stammered.

"No, Alice," he said firmly. "This isn't good for you." Speaking over his shoulder he called, "Esme, we need you." His eyes went back to his wife. "Now, my sweet girl, I need Diane to come with me, but Esme here is goin' to stay with you. Now, I know you can't help it if a vision comes to you, but you quit lookin'." When Alice didn't answer, he pressed her. "Please, Alice, I want you to tell me you won't look."

"Okay, Jazz, I won't look."

Running his hand down her arm, he praised, "That's my girl. Esme, stay with her. I want her to stay put."

"But, Jazz–"

"I know you won't look, but you can't help if they come anyway. You're defenseless when they do. You know that." He tapped her nose playfully. "Stay put."

Esme put a loving arm around her tiny daughter. "I'll take good care of her. Carlisle's in surgery. I left a message that he's needed at home immediately."

Jasper gave her a quick nod. "Sounds good." With his hands in his pockets, he slowly walked to my side and looked back at his wife. "Thanks, Diane."

"Hey, you would've have done the same for me. Actually, you _have _done the same for me."

He smirked. "Seems you were meant to be part of this family. Very few would dare raise their voice to me when I'm like that."

I scoffed. "Good thing you listened. I would've hated to have to get physical with you." I rolled my shoulders like I'd seen Emmett do before sparring. "I've been trained by the best. You wouldn't have stood a chance."

He chuckled softly and shook his head. "Don't get any crazy ideas." He gazed out of the window, and the smile left his face. "I have a bad feelin' that we need to come up with a plan. Hard to do that when we have no idea who or what we're up against."

We tossed around a few ideas before Edward returned. "Peter found me. He said that you need to come up with a plan since we didn't get to talk to the nomad."

Jasper's eye roll made me giggle. "His timin's not much good without his cell phone, is it? Remind me to rub that in later."

Edward held up a tattered, venom-soaked shirt. "I know it's not much, but we're lucky to get even this. Paul was rather enthusiastic about burning every piece."

"I'm sure," Jasper replied dryly. Taking the garment, he laid it flat on the table. Starting at the right shoulder, he began moving his nose along the shirt, slowly pulling in the scent. Scott and I watched silently, knowing he would explain when he was ready.

The other brother wasn't so patient. "He's definitely the one they've been tracking. I don't understand why you wanted this."

Irritation flickered across Jasper's face when he paused, but he just kept sniffing. This only served to irritate the mind reader. "I have no idea what you're doing, and you're blocking me. Care to explain?"

Jasper growled, and Edward wisely took a step back with a perplexed look on his face. Seeing his brother's reaction, Jasper's face softened. "Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind right now." His eyes flickered to Alice and away. "I know it's the same nomad. I'm checkin' for other scents. If he's workin' with others, one of them may have touched him."

Slowly, methodically, Jasper covered the front of the shirt. Only when he turned the shirt over did I start to question his actions, but I kept it to myself. When Jasper reached the edge of a sleeve, he froze for a split-second and then took in a long pull. His low growl had me on edge. He spoke only one word.

"Roger."

The silence that followed told me we all knew better than to ask if he was sure.

Roger's scent mysteriously appearing wouldn't leave my mind as I ran. I had a nagging suspicion that I just couldn't get rid of. That was the reason I was out in the forest alone in the first place. Ever since Natalie's death, it seemed that there was always someone lurking in the shadows—with their friends. When Natalie's murderer didn't talk, everyone, myself included, discounted my theory. But now—now I would find out for sure. In order to fish for bad guys, I needed one thing: bait. And since I wasn't willing to risk anyone else's neck, I chose myself for the job.

Hunting was my cover for being out alone, so I took down a deer and drained it quickly. My hunting and feeding skills had improved a lot, so I walked away from my hunt free of blood or tears marring my clothes. Disposing of the animal, I was back on the move, keeping my pace slow and steady. After a second kill, I pretended to be taking a leisurely stroll as I looked at the trees and flowers—all the while checking for foreign scents or sounds.

Leaving Jasper and Scott behind at the house might have been foolish, but there wasn't another way. How was I to be all alone with an escort? Entering a small clearing, I bent down to pick a flower, and the first scent hit me. I had to be careful. Keeping up appearances was critical, so I picked four more flowers. Then the second scent hit. Where were they? I hadn't heard a thing. Changing tactics, I put my nose in my bouquet and closed my eyes. Perhaps if I quit breathing, I would hear them…

"Why hello, pretty lady," a strange voice called out. When I turned to the sound, laughter came from the opposite direction. I groaned internally. _Great, the punks want to play._

Slumping my shoulders, I looked around. "Who–who are you?" I stammered with wide eyes. "I can't see you." The flowers fell from my hands, and I fought the urge to crouch. Slowly, I moved to the nearest tree.

"We've been watching you on your little walk. Where's your mate?" I could hear their footsteps now. Three, I guessed. Moments later, my nose confirmed that I was right.

"I left him at h-home," I whimpered. They were coming closer—I held very still to make sure there were no other surprises. Could I really take all of them?

Of course not.

"_Two miles east of the clearing. Three of them. Don't close in yet."_

The first one showed himself while he was still fifty feet away. "We just want to talk for a while. No need to be scared."

"We?" I asked timidly.

"Just me and a couple of friends," he said while trying to be charming—he failed.

The others emerged where I expected. They had me surrounded. I carefully kept a submissive stance. Looking for an extra advantage, I pressed the girl card a little more.

"You guys are scaring me. I-If you just want to talk, why are you all around me?"

The leader motioned the others to him. Now they were all together. _Morons._

"_Now, Scott!"_

Reaching down for more flowers, I stayed on the balls of my feet and asked, "So what do you want to know?"

He never had a chance to answer because Scott and Jasper scents blew in on the breeze. That was my cue to leave.

"Bye, boys!" I called out and jumped up into the tree. With them on the ground and me in the trees, I pulled ahead quickly and steadily increased my lead.

"_Headed your way and they're right on my heels."_

"_I can hear you coming. Just stay ahead of them."_

"_Make sure you let me have one."_

I could almost hear him roll his eyes. _"Are they all on the ground?"_

"_One just went into the trees. Dibs on him." Hey, what do you know, I _can_ hear him growl in my head. Cool._

Jasper was the first to come into my line of sight, running across the ground wearing his battle face. Scott was just behind and flanking him. When they let out a chorus of ferocious roars, I knew they had made eye contact with the two on the ground. The answering roars meant they were as ready for a fight as we were.

Making my next leap, my feet found purchase on the branch next to my hand, and I launched myself straight up, going higher in the tree. The vampire following me wasn't fooled, but I still had height on my side. He tried to copy my move, but I was already dropping on him, landing my feet squarely in his face. He grabbed my feet as he made contact with a large branch and pulled me down—hard. When my back hit the tree trunk, I heard a loud crack as mind-blowing pain shot through me. Unable to renew my attack, I fell to the next lowest branch where I slid my back to the trunk and simply held on. Any movement was excruciating, except for my legs; I couldn't feel them at all. With a quiet thud, he landed in front of me.

Cocking his head, he smiled at me. "Not much of a fighter, are you, doll?"

I just needed to stall.

Letting the pain show in my eyes, I whimpered, "We've done nothing to you. Why are you doing this?"

He stopped short. "Don't know, don't care. I just follow orders. Who cares why? I just like to kick a little tail now and then." His eyes ran over my body. "Once in a while though—when a girl's real pretty—I take a little extra time with her."

My feet began to tingle. "Try it and you'll be sorry."

He bent down and grabbed my face roughly. "Oh, I'll do more than try, doll." He moved his lips closer to mine. The tingle spread up my legs. I could feel his breath on my face.

Let him kiss me?

No way.

I slammed my head into his. He stumbled back but held on to my chin tighter.

"Oh, you'll pay for that."

The feeling in my legs returned, and I smiled. "Make me." Grimacing at the pain, I drew both legs to my chest and pushed him with all the strength I had.

My eyes followed him across the air as he flew directly toward a large branch. I anticipated the satisfying crunch his body would make when it collided with the massive pine…

Scott flashed into the tree and waited for him. Grasping the flying vampire by the throat, Scott added his strength to the momentum, slamming him against the trunk, then Scott dug his fingers into the other vampire's neck, sending out a cluster of pops and cracks as his fingers sank in to the knuckles. My mate then pulled him forward where his raised knee was waiting. Lifting his other elbow, Scott brought it down on the back of my attacker's neck, sending his head to the ground below.

Not missing a beat, Scott tore the rest of the body into pieces and let them drop. "Major, don't you dare try to tell me we're not burning that one."

"No burning until we get some answers. You know that, Captain."

Locking eyes with me, Scott leaped to my side. "You and your crazy plans! I can't believe you talked Jasper and me into another one."

"You're just jealous," I teased.

Scott ran his hands over me. "No new bites to add to your collection?"

I moved my feet and was glad to find that the movement no longer hurt. "No, I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow. "You mean you're fine _now._"

Busted. "Saw that, huh?"

"Yep." His eyes wandered over me as he asked, "You sure you're okay?" Seeing my nod, his eyes went to the ground below. "Let's get down there and help with the cleanup. We tore all three of them apart, and we'll need all the pieces."

Dropping to the ground, I wasn't surprised to see Peter and Charlotte waiting for us. Peter had to be the first to open his mouth. "Just not happy unless you get hurt, are ya?"

Charlotte smacked him. "Be nice!" She turned to me. "You all right?"

"Yeah. Just feel like I got hit by a Mack truck." Scott's hand started to go up my shirt. I smacked it away. "Not now. I'm not exposing myself in front of everyone. Trust me, nothing needs to be done. I'm fine."

Peter looked around. "Sorry we missed the party. By the time I had the feelin' you needed me, we were on the other side of the property."

Jasper was all business. "Let's get goin'. Char, grab the legs, Diane, take the arms, and the rest of us will handle the heads and torsos. We'll take them to the little cabin we used last time. I don't feel anyone else out here but let's not be careless. I'll take point. Scott, Peter, take the flanks." I briefly thought about griping at being put in the middle, but thought better of it.

Walking along in silence, we carried our latest round of prisoners. The pattern of recent events was disturbing to say the least. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were all victims of some sadistic fiction writer. Shaking my head at my foolishness, I looked down and bemoaned my venom-splotched shirt. Alice was not going to be happy. My mind then drifted to my sister, and I wondered how she was doing. She had been through so much today.

Jasper's fierce growl pulled me out of my musings. We all stilled. "Anger and anticipation," he whispered. "They're more of them out here. I can't tell how many." He slowly tossed the head he held to the north and the torso to the south. Scott and Peter silently copied him. "Diane, pitch those east. Char, yours go to the west." We did as we were told. "Listen up. If things heat up again, those are the directions the parts go in, if you can. It'll make it harder for them to reattach themselves while we're busy."

I slid my phone out and opened it. "No service on the cell. We have no way to call for help."

"Char, Diane, one of you needs to break away and get word back to the house. Seems we just took out the scouts. I count at least ten more now, but I'm sure there's more—could be twice that many. When you get there, tell Edward to leave at least two at the house with Alice and that we need the pack."

Charlotte and I glanced at each other and nodded. "Got it," I replied.

The Major started giving orders silently by pointing. Charlotte and I were sent into the treetops. Scott and Peter moved to flanking positions twenty feet apart. Following our leader's glare, we knew right where the first one would come into view.

From our vantage point, Charlotte and I saw the approaching vampires before our men on the ground did. Even up here in the trees, there was nowhere for us to go. They had our men surrounded on the ground—ten vampires were closing in. If Charlotte or I made a break for the house, they would hear us. We froze and looked at each other—our minds spinning, looking for a way out. No one was faster in the trees than me. I was just about to take off when I heard them. My chest clenched—we were in as much trouble as the men were below. Six more were in the trees, also closing in.

"_Scott they have us but good. Ten closing in down there and six more up here. One more thing, they're in the same uniform as Natalie's killer. They're an army."_

Scott's growl drew the attention of the others. I saw him flash up ten fingers and make a circle low in front of himself, then six fingers went up before another circle went around the canopy.

Jasper and Peter growled as they dropped into fighting crouches. Flashing to my mate's side, Jasper whispered in his ear and went back to his place.

"_Diane, he says to get them on the ground as soon as you can, so we can have a better visual on them all. We can't see you two up there. We won't know if you're in trouble."_

The order didn't sit well with me, but I had learned that lesson already. _"Got it. I'll fill Charlotte in once we can make some noise. I'm not sure they know where we are."_

"_Okay. They're almost here."_

The men below us formed a triangle with their backs to each other. Peter's eyes flicked up, and I knew he hoped to get a glance of his wife, but we were both hidden from their sight. Seeing his distress made me grateful for the instant reassurance Scott and I had through our gift. My mind went to Alice, and I wondered if Jasper wanted her here or was glad she was away.

He began to shift on his feet—they all did. The army was fifty feet away now and moving faster. Knowing they could be seen, growls erupted below us. The men in the trees stayed silent. They still couldn't find us. Using the noise below as cover, I pointed up. Charlotte met me on the sunny side of the treetops. Putting my face in her ear, I whispered Jasper's order. The next moment we were back in position.

Jasper's growl cut off only when he turned his head slightly to Scott. "Wait for my signal before you engage. Captain, if I should fall, you get everyone back safely, and tell Alice that I love her."

Forty feet away…

"Not on my watch, Major," Scott vowed. "No taking unnecessary risks either. You may be in charge here, but you better not be thinking you're gonna sacrifice yourself to make sure the rest of us get outta this."

Thirty feet and closing….

"Quit talkin' nonsense," Peter added. "We'll be celebratin' over some grizzly when this is all sorted out."

Twenty feet. The approaching vampires began to run.

"Focus on the enemy in front of you," the Major ordered. "Your women can handle themselves."

Ten feet away…

"NOW!" Jasper lunged and with one sweep removed a head and tossed it north. Within moments, the noise of battle filled the air and my fingers curled into claws. The enemy's circle began tightening around Charlotte and me. They must have thought they were being stealthy, but I knew right where they were. All my playtime in the trees was about to pay off. Looking down, I glanced at Scott. He was fighting one man head on when another lunged at his side, biting his shoulder.

I saw red.

Looking around me, I smiled as I looked into the eyes of the enemy—those who would suffer at my hand.

"Aw look, the little girlies are hiding in the trees," he sneered at me.

I simply smiled back as Charlotte launched off her branch and landed her feet directly in the side of his head, sending him below.

Leaping from my branch, I took the next one that came into view. He saw me coming, but I curled into myself at the last minute and he couldn't touch me. Stretching back out, I used the closest branch as a springboard and launched myself immediately back at him. The angle was perfect when I connected with his knees. He couldn't keep his balance and fell to the ground. Peter must have been watching because he was waiting when the man hit the dirt and dismembered him quickly, parts flying in all directions.

Charlotte let out a scream that had me moving to her before I could take in what was happening. Crouching on a branch with her back against a tree, she held her hand close to her chest while the other was raised to strike. A short, blond-haired man was slowly closing in as she waited for her best shot. From the look of the gash in his face, she had already got in at least one good one already.

I crossed two trees and was nearly to her when a muscular, red-haired vampire landed right in front of me. He wore at least two dozen scars and I struggled to contain the hiss that would have given my inexperience away. He shook his head slowly and clicked his tongue. "Two against one? That's not fair. You like to play dirty, huh?"

"Wanna see just how dirty I like to play?" I batted my eyes and curled my fingers to beckon him forward.

He lunged and I shot straight up before he could touch me. From the higher branch, I jumped to the next tree and descended. Landing on the man who had been closing in on Charlotte, I smirked when he went down easily.

"You okay, Char?"

"Yeah, I handled three, but the redhead's still up here, take care of him."

"Okay, you go get help and hurry."

I wasted no time watching her go when I turned to find Mr. It's-Not-Fair. I didn't have to look long.

He landed on the branch above me and flashed a nasty grin. His position had the advantage. "There you are, baby. Now what were you saying about playing dirty?"

Since there was only one left, getting him to the ground would be easy. After a quick glance below to find Scott, who happened to be right below me, I winked at the one leering down at me. "Catch me if you can!" Keeping my eyes on him, I stepped into the air and let myself fall. Naturally, the moron followed me.

"_Dropping in behind you with company, Scott."_

My man was in the middle off ripping the head from the one before him and gave no indication that he heard me. No sooner had the head left his hand than he spun and locked eyes with me. Stepping to the side, he put himself directly in the path of my admirer and caught his feet before they hit the ground. Continuing his spin, he swung his new toy towards me. Locking my hands around his neck, I took a moment to let him know his end was coming.

"How's this for dirty?" I whispered.

Then I removed the orb from its body.

"All clear upstairs," I called out. "Cavalry should be coming soon."

Scott finished dismembering the body. "Stay close and try to keep your back to mine."

That was the last thing I remembered him saying. The next sound was the roar of the enemy as he charged at me. The venom pooled in my mouth, and I settled into my fighting crouch. My gaze locked on my target, and I began to fight. Fighting on the ground was different than being in the trees where using misdirection and bouncing from branch to branch meant the hits, if placed correctly, had been few but effective. Down here, the bites and blows reigned hot and heavy. My training kicked in fully, and I became a machine. Instinct took over more than ever before. My hands and teeth grabbed and slashed and tore. Heads were removed and tossed aside coldly; my eyes picked out my next opponent before my hands left the remains of my previous one.

The Major yelled, "Peter's down, and another wave's comin'!" He sounded far away, but my mind instantly calculated he stood twenty-seven feet northeast of me. I simply continued taking on one vampire at a time. I felt their bites as well as their blows, but I refused to let the pain stop me. Instinctively, I knew where Scott fought; a quick glance to find him occasionally seemed as involuntary as blinking.

Time meant nothing as the battle raged around us. One moment the vampire under my knees thrashed as his roar blended in with the noise of battle. The next his arms were gone, and then the sounds of his anger and pain were cut off when I removed his head.

Then there was only silence.

Hearing nothing but the sound of my breathing threw me mentally off balance…until I took in the scene around me. There was no one left standing to fight. Scott had his hands on me in an instant. He growled at each bite, crack, and mark he saw. I reminded him that those who had marred my skin were all dead, and he relaxed a little. Seeing his wounds, I had to remind myself of what I had just said before I could release my grip on him.

"Ladies first. _Then_ you can see to mine." He ducked his head and began to suck the venom out of the bite near my elbow.

Looking around, I did a double take. When had the rest of the family arrived? Charlotte was hovering over Peter as Carlisle moved his leg into position to fuse it back on. Emmett and Rose looked good, just dirty and disheveled like the rest of us. They were each building a fire at opposite ends of what was now a battlefield. Trees had been leveled for a half-mile radius. I had never seen anything like it.

All around us the members of our family, save Alice, where cleaning up. They were throwing body parts into the pyres or gathering fallen trees and branches for a larger fire that would be started later.

In the middle of the after battle activities, Jasper stood vampire still. His eyes continuously shifted in all directions and his nostrils flared as he pulled in the scents around him.

Scott had healed the first bite and was moving on to the next when I stopped him. "What's up with Jasper?"

Following my gaze, he immediately went to his brother's side. "Something you want to share?"

"There's an uneasy feelin' in the pit of my stomach," he whispered. "I don't feel anyone out there, though." He shook his head with a small smile and relaxed his stance. "Guess I'm just missing my girl." Jerking his chin to me, he added, "Yours did well."

Scott's eyes went to me, and he actually looked a bit proud. "Course she did."

Making my way to the brothers, I said, "I was taught by the Major, after all."

He eyed a tear in my shirtsleeve that exposed a weeping bite on my upper arm. "You tryin' to look like me?"

I scoffed, "Hardly. I'm much prettier than you."

Scott began drawing the venom from the wound where I stood. I didn't really think anything of it until I saw Jasper's smirk.

"What?" I asked. I didn't hiss at the burn of having the venom removed, but I didn't keep the grimace off my face either.

He simply nodded his head still wearing that smirk. "You're learning. A few months ago you would've thrown a hissy fit if he tried to take care of you like that."

"Hissy fit? Really, Jasper?"

"Yep." The smirk turned into a large grin.

"What can I say? We've both given a little. He wouldn't have let me fight like this a few months ago."

Scott sealed the wound and kept his eye on it as it sealed shut. "It's not like we had much of a choice. I think Jasper was getting ready to end us personally if we didn't get our act together."

He chuckled. "You've got that–" Jasper's words cut off with his own loud growl, and he instantly dropped into a crouch. Everyone went silent. "There's more out there. I feel them—at least two. They're feelin' hatred, determination, and confidence—lots of it. That must mean…" His head snapped up a moment before two vampires appeared. "…Roger!"

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.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

10.14.12

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: SqueakyZorro

Thanks again to my lovely betas **SqueakyZorro, EvilPumpkin, and Kherisma**

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

I would also like to thank everyone who voted for me in the Emerging Swan awards. I did not win, but am honored to be nominated.

Most of all, thanks to all who leave a review. I reply to each one and they all encourage me to keep writing.

~MA~


	21. Private Battle

21

Private Battle

Closing the distance between us quickly, Roger stopped on a natural ledge about five feet above the ground we stood on. The tall, well-muscled dirty-blond sauntered forward as if he were facing only a single newborn rather than nine angry vampires led by Major Whitlock himself. When our warning growls and hisses filled the air, he stilled, raising an incredulous eyebrow.

His voice flowed like oil—filthy, greasy oil. "Jasper, how long has it been? Why, can you believe it's been seventy years? My, how time has flown." His high, thin voice had me picturing him sitting in a rocker on a plantation porch.

Roger's speech patterns and mannerisms contradicted his appearance. An Armani suit and loafers would have been more in line with the way he carried himself rather than the cargo pants and combat boots he wore. His choice of attire made sense only because it matched what the rest of his men were wearing—the ones that were still alive, that is.

The next thing I noticed about him were his scars. His bare chest only covered by the expected open black leather vest, this was obviously the impression he dressed for. His scars were barely half the number that Jasper wore, so I wasn't as impressed as I might have been.

None of us should've been more unimpressed than Jasper himself, so his sudden roar of fury confused me.

Then I saw Alice.

A third man appeared, holding her with one hand tightly around her throat and the other gripping both of her wrists behind her back. Loud, angry growls came from everyone until Jasper's hand snapped up, demanding our silence.

Roger swept a large hand towards my sister. "As you can see, we paid a visit to your lovely home. Imagine my surprise when I found this beautiful creature sitting all alone on the front porch—as if she were just _waiting_ for us."

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Imagine that."

Alice's eyes closed for a moment, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Major's hand clench and release quickly, probably imagining what it would feel like to crush Roger's spine.

I know I was.

Roger continued as he stepped to Alice's side. "Since I didn't want you to worry about your little woman here, I thought I'd bring her along."

A wave of calm filled the space. The peace was a welcome break, until Roger stabbed a finger at Jasper. "No! You do _not_ get to play your games with me! I feel that again, and I end her now." His index finger waved over the field. "Any of you so much as _twitch_ and I end her now."

"You always did like to play with fire," Jasper seethed.

Ignoring the warning, Roger smiled. "So, what do you think of my army?"

Jasper tilted his head. "I think they look good as dust under my size thirteen Stetsons." I allowed myself a small, dark laugh when he twisted the toe of his boot in the dirt for effect.

Our enemy shrugged carelessly. "They served their purpose, and they did it gladly." His hand splayed on his chest. "They did it for me. And there's more where they came from."

Crossing his arms, Jasper's voice taunted, "I see you still fight like the coward you are. Hangin' back while your men fight and die for whatever twisted notion's in your head."

"My mission wasn't twisted." Roger spread his arms victoriously. "I succeeded. Having you here, powerless in front of me, was worth all the lives that needed to be sacrificed to get here…" Ruby eyes landed on me. "…human and vampire alike."

Edward sucked in a deep breath then growled, "Monster."

"Oh, yes, the minder-reader. Did you like what you heard…or saw…or…whatever it is you do? Shame we missed Bella today, isn't it? While I would have _loved_ to meet her, she really couldn't be here. That little gift of hers really gets in the way. Makes her hard to control. No doubt she'll be much more cooperative in order to save her mate."

Edward's body lurched forward, but he quickly restrained himself when Jasper shook his head.

"I had a hard enough time getting around the psychic." He laughed like a madman while his eyes roamed over Alice. "Sure, it took some doing. I had to get my hands a little dirty, but just look." He gestured to Alice and then Jasper. "Look at my reward."

_Edward, did he just say what I think he said?_

His eyes fixed on Roger, Edward nodded. "Lauren, Janet, Natalie, and their husbands—he killed them all. Not by his own hand, but he did all of the planning and gave the orders."

The word tore from my throat with a roar before I could stop it. "Murderer!" I had only taken two steps before Scott's arms locked around my waist and pulled me tightly against his chest with a soft growl.

Alice gasped as the man holding her tightened the grip on her neck, drawing another growl from her husband. I instantly regretted my flash of temper.

Roger waved his finger back and forth. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh, Diane, you are a _feisty_ one. Been keeping everyone on their toes, haven't you? Move again and I won't be as forgiving as your man has been. Honestly, Scott, how _do_ you put up with her?"

"Enough!" Jasper snapped. "No more games! How do you know so much about us? What do you want?"

"How I gather my intel is none of your concern, and I no longer _want_ anything because I have you and your precious Alice."

"So rather than come and face me like a man, you murder innocents, sneak around, and threaten my mate—all to get to me? I see you still take after the Mexican whore."

Roger's eyes went black. "Don't you _dare_ talk about her like that! I am doing this for her, _mi corazón_."

Anger poured steadily from my brother. His fist clenched repeatedly in a slow rhythm as he seethed, "Maria doesn't _have_ a heart, much less be yours. Was she in on this? I knew I should've killed her when I had the chance."

Roger quickly jerked his chin at the man to his left, who strode to Alice and tore off one of her fingers. She clamped her lips together to muffle her cry, but we all heard it anyway. Dropping her finger on the ground, he kicked it away. I watched where it landed and promised myself to retrieve it as soon as possible.

"Speak disrespectfully of Maria again and I will start removing more pieces—and burning them."

A stillness came over Jasper that I had come to know well. In a deathly calm voice that the wise feared, Jasper promised, "Roger, I _will_ kill you."

Still ignoring the vow that his life would soon be over, he pointed to himself. "Quit calling me that. My name is Rujillio. It is the name she gave me after you left us."

"You let her change your name?" Jasper scoffed. "Pansy."

Running his hands down the sides of his vest, Roger retorted, "You are an ignorant fool—then again, you always were. She did not change it—she translated it into Spanish because she _loves_ me."

"So, she loves you, congratulations. What does that have to do with me and mine?"

Roger's fists clenched at his sides. "Yes, she loves me, but she refuses to let go of _you_, though I can't see why." A look of disgust crossed his face as he pointed. "I once looked up to you—the God of War, Maria's Major. Clearly, you no longer deserve either title. Look at you! Yellow eyes! You've gone soft, Jasper. You were going soft before you left. When we were finally rid of you, I was glad to see you go. Maria immediately made me her second, yet she would not stop mourning you. She went on and on about how she loved you and how great you were and how her army would never be the same."

He slammed his fist repeatedly into his hand as he spoke. "Like a pounding in my brain, she went on and on until I could take no more. So, when I saw my way out, I took it. She did not appreciate me then, but she will now. She will see the mighty army I can raise—the things I can accomplish. She will see your head in my hand and _then_ she will be mine."

"Mighty army?" Jasper pointedly looked at the still burning pyres. "They look rather crispy to me."

I strained against Scott's arms, and his hold tightened. I was getting irritated.

"_Scott, why are we just standing here? We need to do something."_

"_Don't move. They could remove Alice's head in an instant. Besides, Jasper is working him over nicely. When Jasper wants us to move, we'll know."_

Looking at the situation again, I had to admit he was right. Taking in Jasper's stance and short replies, he was gathering information as Roger blathered on.

"My army _is_ mighty and has been in operation for over a year." His voice turned mocking. "What's wrong? Disappointed that I do a better job than you? Do not let the burning ashes of my lesser men give you a false sense of security. Everything is going according to plan."

Jasper looked down and watched as the toe of his boot twisted in the dirt. His eyes flickered to Scott and me, and when his head turned to Peter and Charlotte, I knew he was checking our positions. Peter was on his feet now, holding on to his wife. He gave Jasper a slight nod, letting us all know he was good for another round.

When Jasper finally spoke, his words came slowly, laced with an icy tone that made you believe they were the gospel truth. "Well, you had your turn to talk, so now it's mine. I want to make one thing clear—you are a dead man. You were dead the moment you laid a hand on my wife. You were dead the moment you acted against this family. So, are you goin' to die runnin' from me like a coward or facin' me like a man?"

Roger leaned back on his heels and laughed. "Oh, I have yet to lay a hand on your wife, Jasper. I've been a very patient man as far as she is concerned." He gaze went from Alice to Jasper. "Do you know what my gift is?"

"I've heard a few things here and there. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"I can make others loyal to me, and only me, just by a touch." With a sleazy smile, he motioned to the wasteland around us. "All of these gave their lives for me simply because anyone I touch will do as I ask." He moved close to Alice and reached a hand toward her. She tried to back away, but the man holding her prevented her escape. "One touch, and she will do anything—and I do mean _anything_—I want her to. Allow me to demonstrate." Roger's hand slowly moved closer to Alice.

Jasper's growl strangled in this throat.

When Roger brushed his hand down the side of her face, Alice's eyes fluttered closed, and she hummed softly. Getting a nod from his boss, the man holding her released her neck, and Roger's hands went to the back of her head gently. When Alice opened her eyes, they flickered between Jasper and Roger three times before settling on the one touching her. She looked at the monster with the lover's gaze I had only seen her give the empath that stood beside me, shaking with wrath and hurt.

Roger leaned in and brushed Alice's nose with his own. "Hello, my lovely."

"Hi, handsome," she replied.

The murder's hands slid down my sister's throat and went to her shoulders. "Kiss me," the monster ordered.

And she did.

Every Cullen went silent in shock at the sight of Alice kissing Roger. Unable to watch them, my eyes went to Jasper, who stayed completely still until his body convulsed in a quiet sob. His eyes never left his wife. I don't think he could have looked away if he tried. His mouth hung open as if his words had died on his lips—he looked absolutely broken.

Alice jerked out of the kiss and looked at Roger with wide, trusting eyes. "Why is he holding me away from you?" She struggled against the arms that restrained her to no avail. "How can I get my arms around you like this?" Another nod from the monster and her arms were released. Finally free, she rushed at Roger, threw herself into his arms, and kissed him with such force, it knocked him back toward the ledge.

She dropped to her knees in the blink of an eye; to a human, it would have seemed she disappeared from his embrace by magic. The look of the monster's face was comical when he realized what was happening—too late. Grabbing his leg, Alice pulled Roger's feet out from under him, sending him tumbling backward off the ledge—where he landed at the feet of the God of War.

Jasper's face had gone from devastated to murderous. Keeping his eyes locked on his shaken prey, he ordered, "Peter, Scott, handle the others, but keep them alive."

The men flanking Alice jumped from the ledge and moved toward us. Roger wasn't dumb enough to even try to save them. Scott and Peter jumped into action and engaged what turned out to be the best of Roger's men that we faced that day. The old saying is that all is fair in love and war. Well, it _was _war, and neither Charlotte nor I was opposed to fighting unfairly. We each joined our mates in battle and removed the limbs of our enemies rather quickly once the odds were stacked against them. The useless arms and legs were tossed away, and the writhing torsos were face down in the dirt before our attention returned to the main event, where the family now circled the leader whose army was dust under our feet.

The Major's eyes blazed as he sneered at Roger. "So you goin' to run now—you miserable excuse for a man—and show us what a coward you really are?" He chuckled darkly when the failed leader scooted away from him. "You know, I don't mind a chase before I end you. How long a head start do you want?"

Sitting on the ground, the one who had just boasted of having an army looked like a lost child. "How?" he asked in a whisper. "I touched her. H-how did she escape my gift?"

Jasper tilted his head as he took another step closer to the retreating vampire. "Seems I'm not the ignorant fool here after all. She didn't escape your gift—she beat it. Love is stronger than loyalty. If you'd ever tried your gift on a mated vampire, you might have learned that before now and saved yourself from making such a _deadly_ mistake."

I smiled when he kicked a small rock at our enemy, who flinched as if it were an open flame. Jasper gave me a long look before turning back to the monster. Crouching low, he growled, "Why don't we start with a taste of what you've put my sister through."

He flicked his hands at us and, seeing his signal, we all moved back. "She and her husband were already dealing with a lot from their change, so they started out like this." Roger grimaced when Jasper's gift hit him—in less than a minute, he began to twitch. "Then you killed her sister, and she felt like _this_." His hands fisted and jerked toward the one who had caused so much pain. Roger yelled in a blend of heartbreak and pain that I knew too well. "Not to mention all the worry and stress you've put our family through." His fists jerked forward again—Roger yelled louder.

It didn't last long enough for me. The rest of eternity wouldn't have been long enough.

We could tell when the Major pulled back his first wave of vengeance because Roger crumpled into the dirt gasping for air that he didn't need. My brother glanced at me over his shoulder with a satisfied nod.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy that—just a little.

Turning back to Roger, the Major said coolly, "Now that the appetizer is done, it's time for the main course."

A burst of anticipation ran through me. I wanted to fight him. I knew he was better than me, but I needed to get in a few hits of my own before Scott or Jasper finished him off. Moving slowly, I knew my footsteps would draw my brother's attention, and I met his gaze.

"I want him."

He shook his head. "No."

Not willing to be deterred, my words came out rough and hard—my hands twitched with the need. "Just for a few minutes. I don't have to finish him. Just let me inflict a little pain…a little of my own justice, please." I'm sure I sounded desperate, but I didn't care.

He shook his head again. I hated being denied and let my anger flow freely—I knew it wouldn't change his mind, but I wanted my view made clear.

"'Fraid not, sister. I'm goin' to have pull rank on this one."

Stuffing down my desire to yell at him, I moved back to my place next to Scott, who smirked at me as he shook his head.

"_Shut up, Scott."_

"_I didn't say a word."_

Roger's calm was poorly composed as he struggled to his feet. "I'm not interested in fighting your entire family, but that doesn't make me a coward." His eyes went around our circle then scanned the area beyond us—I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Scott, go out and make sure everything's secure within a twenty mile radius. Take Emmett with you. I think our _friend_ here's expectin' reinforcements."

My mate's eyes flickered to me.

"_I'll behave, go."_

Ugh—men!

With nowhere to go, Roger stood still. "Is this where you let your family take me apart?" He shrugged. "Hey, it's what I would do. Face it, Jasper—you're more like me than they know."

The Major stepped forward slowly, putting himself in the center of our circle with the monster. "Fair enough. What if you had my word that it'd just be you and me?"

A chorus of hisses and growls rang out in protest, but they were ignored as our brother and Roger began to crouch with their eyes locked in a search for weakness in the other. Alice stayed silent while she sat on the ledge, hugging her knees to her chest, watching us all.

Clenching fists and a hard swallow showed Roger's answer before he spoke it. "You'd give me your word?"

"Yep, and _my_ word actually means somethin'." Not turning his back on his opponent, he spoke to us over his shoulder, looking at his father. "No one is to interfere. That's how I want it."

Our protests cut off when Carlisle stepped forward. "We understand and will respect your wishes." His grimace told me the words tasted bitter.

Turning his gaze back to Roger, Jasper squared his shoulders. "I've already told you how this is goin' to end. Should I give you some time to make peace with…whoever it is you pray to?" Jasper went completely still, and our family circle widened as we slowly moved back. When Scott and Emmett rejoined us, a small shake of Scott's head told us what we needed to know.

Jasper smirked. "Seems your cavalry's not comin' for you…pity."

Apparently spurred on by a second wind, Roger crouched lower. "Jasper, you've always been overconfident. That's never changed, has it? You will be the one to fall, and I will _gladly_ do this now."

"Sure about that?"

"Of course."

Sucking in a breath, I waited for it…

"Suit yourself."

Both warriors lunged, meeting in the middle with a thunderous crash. Jasper struck first and sent Roger flying into the pile of fallen trees, scattering them in all directions. Roger snarled as he untangled himself from the mess. "Now!" His eyes scanned the area again. "What are you waiting for? Now!"

A flash of fear went across his face as it finally sank in that he was truly on his own.

Jasper closed the distance quickly. He and Roger locked on each other, trading bites, hits, and kicks in rapid succession as they danced around and over each other like panthers. Roger was unable to evade the attacks because Jasper was simply too fast for him. Their dance of death mesmerized me. The wrath that the Major was projecting may have felt smothering to some, but I secretly reveled in it. I'd felt it before when he'd carried Natalie's killer away. Knowing what had happened to him made me anticipate the fate of the mastermind of her murder even more.

The first shrill sound of flesh tearing was quickly followed by an agony-filled howl. Roger's hand flew toward me. I wasted no time getting it into the nearest pyre and enjoyed the fresh yell of pain that went with it. Every two or three minutes, another chunk of Roger was thrown from the fray and met the same fate by whoever happened to be closest to the projectile.

After six more minutes of battle, Peter whispered to Scott and me, "He's takin' his time—drawin' out the kill. I've seen him do this before, and it's not gonna be pretty. We need to get everyone else outta here 'cause he'll be pretty worked up once he's done."

Hearing a sigh, we looked up from our huddle to see Carlisle standing next to us, watching the fight. "Is there no stopping him—getting him to end it quickly?"

Peter's eyes turned hard. "I won't try, no, sir. He laid hands on Alice—threatened her very life—and deserves everything he's gonna get." He nudged my husband in the shoulder. "How about you, Scott? You're as good for the job as I am."

"Not a chance," Scott answered quickly. "Roger caused my wife enough pain that I'd gladly step in if Jasper would let me. But he's not gonna give me the honor, and I don't blame him."

A piece of Roger's arm, broken off just above the elbow, flew overhead, and Charlotte snatched it out of the air and tossed it in the fire.

Carlisle's face showed his resignation. "Very well. I will not try either. Honestly, I would want to do the same if he had hurt Esme. I'll take everyone else back to the house. Join us as soon as you can. Just make sure he's as calm as possible before he returns." His eyes glanced at the ongoing battle before they returned to us. "We all love him dearly, but I am glad he has Alice and the four of you."

Looking to the ledge, I saw that Alice was still sitting in the dirt with her arms around her knees. She looked sad and defeated. With a quick murmur of, "Come on, Char," I raced to where Alice's finger lay, picked it up, and quickly made it to my sister's side, giving a wide berth to the ongoing battle that Scott and Peter were watching intently. They shifted their positions and put themselves between the battle and us. Alice made no movement or sound to acknowledge our presence, not even when we pulled her back from the edge. Using my venom, I cleaned both her finger and the wound where the finger belonged and held it in place. The fact that she continued to stay silent during the burn of the healing concerned me. I glanced at Char, silently conveying my worry. She simply shook her head and put her arm around Alice's shoulders. Being careful to hold the finger still, I lifted my eyes to the fight when I heard Roger scream.

He was limping and leaking venom from the stump that has been his arm. "No! You will not defeat me!"

The answering laugh from Jasper sent a shiver down my spine. "I've already defeated you. Now I'm just takin' my time." He circled smoothly while Roger stumbled to counter his movements. "Had you just threatened my family, I would've taken your head already. But you _dared_ lay hands on my mate, my sister's family…well, that means you are goin' to suffer until I'm satisfied, or until Alice or Diane asks me to put you out of your misery."

I looked the monster in the eyes. "Not going to happen."

Stopping his movement, Jasper tilted his head. "You heard the lady."

Roger swallowed.

Like the strike of a cobra, Jasper leaped forward, closing the distance quickly as he attacked again, this time removing Roger's remaining hand, which Scott disposed of.

The Major's plan came into total focus then. Peter was right; he was methodically tearing Roger apart—slowly wearing away one limb at a time—bit by bit—so Roger knew exactly what was coming. Once the hand was gone, the rest of the arm became shorter and shorter as Jasper's hands or teeth removed small chunks of flesh. Roger did the best he could to defend himself as he was toyed with, but there was no place for him to go. As the minutes wore on, Jasper struck faster and faster—the strikes blended together, and Roger's screams followed suit. Had it been anyone else, I might have felt sorry, but not for _him_. The crystal-clear, forever embedded memory of my sister's bloody corpse dried up every ounce of pity in me.

Those of us that stayed behind remained still and silent as the Major exacted his vengeance. Char and I sat on the ledge with Alice while Scott and Peter waited directly below and in front of us. My eyes flickered to the woman at my side who had not made a sound since I'd joined her. The only movement she made was with her eyes that stayed glued on her mate.

When the first foot was taken, Roger crashed to the ground and began to plead for mercy that would never come. The rest went quickly after that—he couldn't even _attempt_ to evade the angel of death before him. When he was down to a head and torso, he went silent, clamping his lips together to hold in his pain.

Tossing the last bit of leg away, Jasper straightened, and pushing back the hair that had fallen in his eyes, walked slowly to what was left of our enemy.

Roger couldn't keep the tremor out of his voice. "Maria, she will avenge me! She will make you pay!"

Squatting slowly, Jasper put a hand on each side of the monster's head and drawled, "That just goes to show how little you really know her. She already has your replacement wrapped around her little finger—just like she did mine." With a quick movement, the final metallic screech rang out.

Roger's head lay on the ground, smeared with dirt and venom. With a careless toss, Jasper sent it into the flames, then he stood and kicked the torso to Peter, who dumped rest of the garbage into the pyre.

My eyes slid closed. I felt the weight of revenge lift from my shoulders, and I prayed that Roger's victims could be at peace. My sister's murder was completely avenged, but it didn't make her death any easier to bear.

Alice clamped her hands around mine when Jasper's black eyes went to her, and she whimpered softly as he strode towards us.

Leaning down, I whispered in her ear, "Relax, Alice. You know he'd never–" By the time the words left my lips, Jasper was standing in front of us. Twisting myself from my sister's grip, Char and I backed away but didn't leave the ledge.

"Alice!" Jasper rasped sharply. His sharp tone startled me, and I shifted on my feet. I knew he'd never hurt his wife, but if he made my sister cry, he'd have to deal with me.

"Alice!"

She held completely still with her eyes on her hands.

"Alice, look at me."

She shook her head.

Jasper squatted down, bringing his eyes level with hers, and finally softened his tone. "Please, look at me, darlin'." He reached out slowly and ran his hands down her back. His touch broke her silence, and she melted into him, sobbing.

"Oh Jazz, I'm s–sorry. I h–had to—I didn't want him to touch me, but there wasn't another way!" Her husband silently went to his knees and wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him firmly. Eventually her sobs calmed, and she explained, "We were at the house, and I wasn't looking, really I wasn't. At first, I couldn't because Seth was in the house with Esme and me, but then he went on patrol so the vision came anyway, and I saw them coming. I went through all kinds of plans, but Esme would have been killed because Roger didn't want her, and there were so _many_ of them. I had to send Esme away. I told her to go out the back and find everyone because you needed help. So I waited on the front porch or they would've torn the house apart looking for me."

He kissed her hair. "Shhh, hush now, it's okay. Why are you so worked up, little one? You knew I understood the peace and love you were sendin' me. I was too focused on Roger to return the feelin's, but you saw my signal. I didn't like it one bit, but you did what you had to. I know you would've found another way if you could."

"I heard you sob, Jazz, and you were shaking." She looked down. "I hated seeing you like that, knowing I caused your pain."

He closed his eyes tightly and drew a long breath before looking at her. "Watchin' him touch you like that was…well, it was awful." She sobbed again and he placed a hand on her cheek, capturing her eyes. "But what did me in was knowin' the sacrifice you were makin', for me. That was too much for me to bear. I tried to control my reaction, but I—" His voice broke, causing him to stop and compose himself. "And I was _never_ mad at you, only him."

Alice shook her head. "But after you were done with him, when you looked at me, you looked so angry."

He pulled away from her and looked down, "I'm sorry, darlin'. You know it takes me a bit to pull myself together when I get like that." When he lifted his eyes to her, they twinkled. "You know, at first I wasn't sure if I wanted to hold you tight because you were safe or bend you over my knee for puttin' yourself in such danger." He chuckled softly when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't even think about it!" she warned.

Pulling her close, he looked deeply into her eyes, and she returned his gaze with as much passion as ever. The love projected was a welcome break from what we had been getting all day, so I closed my eyes for a moment and enjoyed the feeling that intensified when Scott's arm slipped around me.

A smile slipped into Jasper's voice. "Alice, darlin', I think you've been spendin' too much time around Diane." I rolled my eyes as the guys chuckled. "She's rubbin' off on you." Alice huffed when he kissed her quickly. "You girls need to take a break from these crazy plans that put you in danger. They're too hard on us husbands."

Scott tightened his grip on me. "You've got that right."

"Killjoys," I teased.

"Exactly what I said!" Peter pulled Char into his arms. "I don't see what you're gripin' about. Those two have yet to get even _close _to all the crazy stuff Char has pulled over the years."

Char's sly smile told me that we needed to talk later.

"Don't give them any ideas!" Scott groused. "I don't think I can handle any more."

Jasper held his hand out, and Alice took it quickly and stood beside him. He looked down at the remains that Scott and Peter had scattered, and his voice turned hard. "Burn the one that had his hands on her. Peter, can you and Char take the other one to the cabin and see what you can get out of him? I want to get back to the house and find out why the pack didn't show and make sure everyone's okay."

"No problem, Major."

"There's a hard line in there. Call when you've got somethin'. No burning till I say so."

"Understood," Peter answered. After watching the man who had held Alice burn, Peter and Char headed for the cabin while the rest of us went back to the main house.

While we really didn't want to take the extra time, we took down a few animals we crossed on our way back. Jasper, Scott, and I had been injured, and poor Alice was mentally wiped out on top of her healing finger. The fresh blood did us all some good.

To say it had been a long day was an understatement. While what I wanted was a hot bath and some time alone with my husband, Jasper said we needed to talk with Carlisle and find out why the pack hadn't shown up. He seemed very concerned about it. I just figured that the pack didn't want to get involved in our business but kept it to myself.

After leaping over the river, I smiled. The house had never looked so good, and I turned to say so to Scott when a loud howl ripped me from my thoughts. Edward flashed out of the house and was running in the direction of the sound when a second howl sounded.

Jasper came to a stop, causing us to copy him. Looking in the direction Edward had run, a scowl crossed his face. "Scott, follow him. As soon as you know what's goin' on, let Diane know so she can tell me."

Scott nodded and took off immediately.

"_Be careful, sweetheart," _I thought.

"_I will. Stay with Jasper."_

"_Okay."_

I didn't really like the thought of being Jasper's personal cell phone at first, but I quickly reined in that garbage. After all that had happened today, we all needed to be on our toes. I mentally chastised myself for being in a snit because my man had to go. Thinking of Scott's last words made me smile. He and Jasper had become closer than even I thought they would. As I thought it over, I realized I had become quite attached to Alice, too.

My eyes went to her only a second before her gift kicked in. The sight of a vision coming to her was nothing new, but this time was different. She went in and out several times, and as the seconds ticked by, her face grew more confused while Jasper's scowl came and went. When she finally came out of it, she took off with Jasper and me trailing behind her. When she came to the door, she threw it open so hard the glass shattered.

She blazed up the stairs to Carlisle's study. Esme jumped off her husband's lap to hug Alice, but my tiny sister moved around her quickly. "Carlisle, Aro is about to call." The phone rang once, and he reached for it. "Wait. My vision is a bit fuzzy. I can't see why he's calling."

"That's nothin' new, darlin'," Jasper murmured. "You couldn't see why Peter was calling either. People often don't predetermine what they'll say on the phone."

The phone rang again.

"Does he know about Roger?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know," Alice whispered.

The phone rang for the third time. Carlisle answered it with a carefree tone. "Hello."

"Please hold for Aro Volturi," a voice said.

"Certainly."

Snatching a pen and paper from Carlisle's desktop, Jasper quickly wrote and then held it up to Carlisle first before showing it to the rest of us.

_Probably best not to tell Aro what has happened. _

_If he finds out, they will come here._

Carlisle nodded and Jasper wrote again. He held up the note for us.

_Keep silent!_

We all nodded.

"My dear Carlisle," the new voice said smoothly.

"Hello, Aro. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Actually, my friend, I've called to scold you."

Carlisle frowned but kept his voice pleasant. "Really—whatever for?"

"I sent you a gift recently yet never received a call from you. My feelings are a bit hurt."

Jasper leaned closer to the phone, and Carlisle tipped it away from his ear. Jasper closed his eyes for a moment before writing again.

_Sounds like he's in a car!_

Carlisle didn't miss a beat. "My deepest apologies. I meant no offense. Things have been quite busy at home and at the hospital. We do indeed thank you for your thoughtful gift, Aro. However, I do have a question—"

The eerie chuckle that interrupted from Aro made me feel uncomfortable. "I can imagine. Simply put, it is our job to know of the new additions to established covens. As it was with Bella, so it is with Scott and Diane. Tell me, my friend, what has it been like, handling two newborns who are not only mated, but gifted as well?"

Carlisle looked at me apologetically. "Newborns are challenging, as you well know. Having two that are mated has more than doubled the usual turmoil. However, I think the worst of the anxiety is behind us now. The entire family has been more than willing to help them."

"Especially Major Whitlock, I assume." Jasper tensed, but Carlisle seemed unfazed.

"Naturally, he is skilled in that area."

"Of course. Carlisle, I did not only call to chide you over my gift."

Carlisle let out an easy laugh. "For that I am grateful."

"I also called to let you know I will be visiting soon."

"Oh? We will, of course, be glad to have you. To what do we owe the honor of such a visit?"

"You have always been gracious," Aro purred. "Think of it as a visit of friendship. Actually, I am taking some time to tour the covens of the North American Continent next month. If it is not too much trouble, I would like to spend a few days there. I could meet the newest members of your coven and save you a trip to Italy. What do you say?"

The look on Carlisle's face told me this was not a request. He had zero choice in the matter.

"_Diane!"_ Scott sounded agitated.

"_What is it?"_

"Of course, Aro. When can we expect you? It does not sound like you are at home. Are you traveling now?"

"_Tell Jasper the pack is in trouble and he needs to get out here right now!"_

"_Okay."_ Jasper noticed whatever expression I had on my face and looked at me pointedly. I grabbed the paper and pen from his hand and began writing.

Aro laughed. "How observant. I am traveling, just a quick trip here in Italy. I do not have a date for you yet. I am sorry."

Jasper read my note and glanced out the window and back to the phone. He looked at Carlisle and showed him what I had written then pointed at the phone and motioned for him to hurry. Carlisle simply held up his hands as Aro talked on.

"It will be so lovely to see everyone again. Will you be able to ensure your entire coven will be there?"

Carlisle grimaced in exasperation, and Jasper began to drum his fingers on his arm. Carlisle shrugged. "Yes, Aro, I am sure we can arrange that."

"So, how is your lovely wife these days?"

When Carlisle rolled his eyes, I knew I had to act. I went to the office door and slammed it closed. All eyes shot to me, but I kept mine on my sire.

I let out a couple of convincing sobs. "Oh, Carlisle, please help me! Scott is being mean again!" I threw in a couple more sobs, drawing a thumbs-up from Alice and a disbelieving shake of the head from Jasper.

He kept a calm voice despite his smile. "I'm sorry, Diane, but I am on a very important call right now."

"Please!" I wailed. "I need to talk to you _now_!"

Aro sighed loudly. "It sounds like you have a domestic dispute to attend to, my friend."

"_Diane!"_

"_I'm working on it. We're dealing with issues here!"_

I sobbed again.

"It seems that way, Aro."

"Then I shall say goodbye for now. I will let you know when we are close by."

"I will let the family know. Good day, Aro."

"Good day."

Carlisle hung up the phone with a huff. "Diplomacy can be exhausting."

"_Diane!"_

"Jasper, Scott's getting irate."

Jasper looked at Carlisle. "Maybe you should call Eleazar and see if he's heard anything about this 'tour' Aro is talking about."

Our leader waved a hand. "No need. I spoke to him last week. He _has_ heard about it—Aro called him, so I've been expecting that call." Carlisle shook his head slowly. "First the flowers and now a visit. Aro seems to be trying to repair the damage to the image of the Volturi that was done last year."

Jasper scoffed. "As if it were that easy. Well, at least we've cleaned up the recent threat. Hopefully the rain will wash away all the foreign scents by the time they get here." He jerked his chin to me. "Diane, find out where Scott is and tell him we're on our way."

After a brief conversation with my angry husband and a short run, the entire family was gathered at the western border of the family property. Finding Edward was easy; the loud, distressed cries of the sandy wolf traveled for miles. Seeing Edward so close to the wolf made me afraid for my brother's safety, especially when I remembered what happened at the meeting with the pack.

_Great, it's the puppy who wanted me turned into kibble that Jacob had to warn off. Edward, is it safe for you to be so close?"_

"It's Seth, and actually, you have that backwards." Edward nodded at the wolf. "He was defending you."

_Really? So he's no threat at all?_

Edward shook his head quickly. "I trust him with my very life."

Seth whimpered again, effectively ending my thoughts on what I had just learned. Edward had his eyes locked on the wolf. Only then did it dawn on me that he was reading his mind. His voice was tight. "Yes, Sam, he's on our property now. If you would only let us–" Edward ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated with whatever he was hearing.

Carlisle leaned down looking Seth over. "Is he injured? He seems to be in pain."

"Sam ordered him to our property—to protect him." Edward eyes went to his father. "The reservation has been invaded by the rest of Roger's army. They wear the same uniforms. There are more than even the pack can handle."

"Are you kiddin' me?" Jasper growled low and long as he kneeled next to Edward. "I truly thought Roger was bluffin'. How many?"

"So far I counted over a dozen, and they're saying that there are at least that many on the other side of the reservation. There are no wolves from Seth's pack there right now, so I can't be sure." Edward's eyes never left Seth.

Jasper went still for a moment, then he pounded his fist into the ground. "Why didn't I see it? I've been a fool…should have seen this comin'…can't believe I didn't put it together!" He kept his head bowed as he went on. "Roger was never smart enough to pull this off, not on his own. Trainin' that many, housin' them, feedin' them, the uniforms. That all takes money and organization that only comes with decades of experience bein' at the top. Most of all it takes a cool head and a cold heart."

Scott huffed beside me. "Jasper, get to the point!"

"Yeah, get to it," Emmett added while Rose nodded in agreement.

When his eyes snapped up, they were black with rage. "Fernando was a ruse. Roger never stopped bein' her second. Or maybe she has two majors, I can't be sure—either way, it's her."

"No way. I don't believe it," Scott argued.

"Believe it," Jasper spat. "It has to be Maria."

.

.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

01.30.13

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Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: **EvilPumpkin and****SqueakyZorro**

**2012 Edit beta: Evelyn-Shaye**

I must thank my betas! My readers would be scratching their heads, wondering what I was trying to say. without you.

Thanks also to LadyTazz for encouraging me to start my own blog. Take a look and see that fic I'm working on: .

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

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Please leave a review.~MA


	22. Confusion Amidst Chaos

22

Confusion Amidst Chaos

"No." Scott shook his head. "No, it can't be Maria—I don't believe that. You read her, and there's no way you could've gotten that wrong."

The Major flashed in front of him and yelled, "Did you hear what he said? Two units, flanking at the same time! Who else could it be? Do you know how many times I did that _exact_ thing when I was in the South?"

Scott fired right back. "_Anyone_ who knows a little bit of military tactics could've pulled that off! It doesn't mean it's _her_." Knowing how close they had grown, Scott's reaction did not surprise me. He shoved his finger at his brother. "How about you tap into that mojo of yours and calm _yourself_ down."

Emmett's snicker didn't help matters.

"You tryin' to be funny?" Jasper demanded.

"No, I'm trying to make you to see reason. It's not her!"

Carlisle stepped between them and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Stop this, please. We need to consider this further, get more information, so we can decide on a course of action. Right now, it doesn't matter who the threat is—arguing about it certainly is not going to help matters."

A frustrated growl from Jasper was met by a steady gaze from my man, who spoke in an even, calm tone. "You seem to forget, I was there, too. We were careful, and she answered all of our questions. You said yourself she wasn't involved. Do you _really_ think you got that wrong? I'm not an empath, and I still say you read her right that day. Ask the girls. Bet they agree with me."

"You don't know her like I do," Jasper retorted hotly. "Why are you fightin' me on this?"

Holding up his hands, Scott tried a different approach. "Fine, let's say—for the moment—that it is Maria. Do you think, even if all her men survived what we did to them, that she'd bring all eighteen and leave her camp totally unprotected to come here?" He didn't let Jasper answer. "No, not when she just moved to a new place."

"That's a good point," Alice murmured. Jasper shot her a look, and she rolled her eyes. "Stop it. This isn't a husband-wife thing."

Jasper's look didn't change—clearly, he didn't buy it.

Still pressing his point, Scott went on. "She already knew what coven you belonged to."

"Family," Rose interrupted.

"Her word, not mine," Scott countered. "If she knew that, then she has to know how gifted we are. I mean, surely the name Cullen has a reputation in certain circles, right?"

Murmurs of agreement came from many—save Edward, who was still in conference with Seth.

"I don't know," Jasper admitted. "She has to realize she can't take us now, especially in our own territory."

"Which is why I know it's _not_ her." Scott leveled his stare at his brother.

"We back at that again?"

"Yep. I think it's Roger's second, who blew their grand plan by showing up late."

My mind nagged at me. Scott was right that something wasn't adding up. Surely if Maria were on her way to fight us, something would have triggered a vision.

Wait.

Not wanting to put myself between my mate and my brother, I took Alice by the hand and led her off to the side, even though the privacy was only an illusion.

"Alice, can you see Maria's future?" I asked softly.

Her face scrunched up in thought. "I haven't tried. It's harder to see someone I'm not in tune with."

"Try," I pleaded.

She searched for twenty-four seconds. "Nothing. Her future is blocked from me—it's just gone."

"Is that what it's like when the wolves block your gift?" I pressed.

My sister's face lit up in understanding. "Yes! If I can't see her–"

"She's decided to attack the wolves, not us, so your vision wouldn't catch it," I finished.

Jasper heard everything, of course, and joined us. "You sure, darlin'?"

She shrugged. "As sure as I can be."

"How'd she know?" Jasper asked himself quietly. "How'd she know to use the wolves?"

"I don't think she did," I offered hesitantly, my thoughts still forming as I spoke. "I think she wanted to see how Roger would do—maybe hoping he'd take some of us out, injure a few more. Then Maria waits to attack when our family is weaker. I don't see how the wolves figure in her plans, though. Perhaps she heard how they stood with the family last year, and this is her way of keeping them from helping us?"

My take on the situation was the opposite of Scott's, and I was relieved that he didn't seem to mind.

Jasper nodded as I finished speaking. "_That_ sounds like Maria." He looked at Scott. "What do you think now?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Scott sounded reluctant to speak. "Makes sense when you look at it that way. But…something's still not adding up."

"You're startin' to irritate me." Jasper crossed his arms, waiting for Scott to reply.

"I mean it, we're _missing_ something. I'd bet money it's Roger's second."

The trickle of Jasper's anger filled the space around us. "Sounds like you're questionin' my ability to make a tactical decision."

"Stop trying to take this personally, like I don't respect you or something, 'cause you know I do. I'm _trusting_ the information we gathered in the desert and the tactical decision you made when you said Maria wasn't involved."

My husband and Jasper both shared a long look before Jasper motioned with his hand for Scott to go on.

"You said yourself that you felt determination and fear from Maria when she quit talking about Roger. That tells me she thinks of him as an enemy, not as a second-in-command."

"True," Jasper admitted. "Perhaps she has more control over her emotions than I thought."

"Silence!" Edward barked. "Can I please get a break from the _war_ department for a few minutes? I'm trying to concentrate, and keeping up with the entire pack mind is difficult, even for me."

Jasper and Scott traded silent gazes and nods, clearing the air in their own way, while Alice and I shook our heads at our stubborn men.

Suddenly Seth let out a low, sad whine, and Edward groaned. "Seth. I am so sorry."

Seeing that Scott and Jasper had settled down for the moment, Carlisle returned to Edward's side. "Tell us what you can."

"Right now, it appears that most of the wolves are near the beach. They're not fighting, and their thoughts are too distracted. The worst part is that Paul is dead."

A collective gasp escaped us—the loudest being from Esme—and Edward went on. "It happened right before Jasper got here." Seth's long, loud howls that had drawn us to him replayed in my mind. How had I missed the heartbreak in them before?

Edward nodded at my thoughts. "Paul and Jared were on patrol and had reached First Beach when the first part—um, unit—of the army simply walked out of the water. Paul sacrificed himself by charging to give Jared a chance to get away. He was able to wound some of them, but there were just too many for him to survive. Sam was home and phased just in time to see the second unit come in from the east. As far as I can tell, that unit spilt in two. Half stayed and gathered up the people, and the other half escorted Sam to the beach."

"Why didn't he fight?" Jasper asked. "Had to be somethin' big to keep him from it."

"That's the thing," Edward murmured. "They're saying they just want to talk and will let them all live if they cooperate."

The grimace that Jasper wore deepened. "I know what it means when _I_ say I just want to talk. Mark my words: there's goin' to be trouble. Tell Sam to let us cross the line and help. We'll be on them before they can scent us out. The packs plus all of us—we can take them."

Edward shook his head. "Sam still refuses. He's worried about his people getting hurt."

"He has a good point," Carlisle agreed. "If we go and there are wounded humans…"

We all knew none of us would be able to resist fresh blood, save Carlisle and maybe Edward.

"I've got it!" Emmett yelled too loudly. "How 'bout we go right up to the treaty line and put ourselves upwind. They'd come after us and leave the tribe and the packs alone."

"That's pretty good, Em," Jasper praised. "We'll lure them off the reservation and fight them away from the people."

Edward's tone went flat as he spoke for the wolves. "We will take no chances with the lives of our people. If they smell you, they may decide to kill everyone. The leader knows I am the Alpha and has told me his boss only wants to talk to me. Please stay where you are and don't endanger us any more than you already have."

Jasper threw his hands in the air and walked away muttering to himself. I was pretty sure the language he was using was not anything he'd want a woman to hear, so I didn't try to listen.

Wait.

"How'd Sam hear Jasper?" I wondered aloud. The whole pack mind thing had been explained to me, but I was amazed and slightly confused by it all.

"You should be amazed," Edward answered. "When Jasper—or anyone—speaks, Seth hears them, and therefore the rest of his pack does. There are two packs, and right now, I can only hear one through Seth. Quil has to keep phasing back to his human form to tell Sam what's going on. Then Sam communicates mentally with his pack—the ones in wolf form, anyway. Everyone except Jacob has phased into wolves. We could really use him right now. As Alphas, he and Sam can speak mentally. Hmmm." Edward seemed to slip into his own thoughts, so I didn't ask any more questions.

_Mental communication, miles and miles away? Wow, modern technology has nothing on us._

Talking to himself, Edward mused softly, "I think I can take care of it right now." He looked up and spoke at vampire speed. "Rose, I need you to go to a place with a cell signal. Call Jake and tell him to phase immediately. Tell him not to use the phones to contact the reservation. I don't want anyone to know Bella and Nessie are with him."

Finished with his profane rant, Jasper came back and kneeled next to the Seth-wolf, looking him in the eye. "Have they mentioned the name of this boss?"

"No, they haven't," Edward replied for pack.

"Quil, can you slowly sweep your eyes across the vampires to see if Edward recognizes one of them? I suspect a certain someone, and Edward knows what she and her men look like from my thoughts."

Edward stilled and his eyes unfocused as he took in the faces of those threatening the reservation. "I don't see her, Jasper, or any of those you saw in the desert. In fact, they're all men."

"Then it has to be Maria," Jasper growled. "I will end her." Rage and disappointment rolled off our brother. "Too bad we already finished Roger. I'd sure like to have seen the look on her face when she watched me remove his head." He shrugged. "No changin' it now. She will still die at my hand."

Edward grunted. "You can't say things like that. Great, Sam is shouting now." He waved his hand at Seth. "No. Tell Sam he is still here. Yes, we will all stay here for now."

Scott's eyes went to me. I easily read the look on his face and waited for his mental voice.

"_Jasper needs to calm down."_

"_You still think he's wrong, sweetie?"_

"_Yep, but I don't think he wants to hear it anymore."_

Rose returned, taking her place beside Emmett. "He should be phasing any second. Be warned, Edward, the mongrel's really ticked. You have fun with that."

The grimace on Edwards face made it clear that Jacob had indeed phased. "Yes, he is. There's a lot of yelling. I'm going to wait for a minute and hopefully he'll stop." Edward rolled his eyes. "At least now we can hear both packs—at least we will—eventually." He huffed loudly and waited. "Yes, Jacob, I can hear you. At this point, you know as much as we do. What? You've got to be kidding me! Of course, Jasper is still here. Can we please get back to what's going on?"

Jasper flashed back to Edward's side and crossed his arms. He was on full alert, his eyes constantly moving, monitoring his surroundings while still repeatedly going back to Alice. She had been very quiet as she went in and out of her visions. Jasper's expression darkened when he saw, and probably felt, her struggling to determine our future, but he didn't interfere.

Seth began to growl and paw at the ground.

Edward patted his large shoulder. "One of Roger's men said they are waiting for a boat. It appears that this _boss_ they told Sam about is on it."

Jasper flashed in front of Carlisle. "We have to get over there. I know how Maria asks questions—the same way I did. She'll torture it out of them and then slaughter them all. Wolves, humans, women, and children: it won't matter to her. We're at a disadvantage because everything involves the wolves. Alice can't see anything. We have to go and stop her—it doesn't matter what she wants. Whatever it is, she must want it very badly."

A soft gasp came from Alice, and her eyes met mine. I knew exactly what she wanted—we both did. Guilt over my plan in the desert crashed over me as I heard Alice reveal what I had done.

"She wants you, Jazz."

"Me?"

"She knew we'd come to her looking for answers. We must have taken her by surprise, or she would have tried to fight for you then."

Jasper froze. We all did as realization dawned on us. He fisted his hands tightly and bowed his head—lost in thought—as the warrior's mind processed this information. No doubt he was going over all possible ways to fight or retreat and regroup. We all watched silently, waiting for his decision.

He silently flashed to Alice and, brushing his hand along her cheek, shared a wordless moment with his mate.

Stepping back, his hard gaze landed on Scott. "That settles it. Now I have to go—alone." He squared his shoulders and began walking in the direction of the reservation. He emptied the contents of his pockets, dropping his cell phone and wallet on the ground as he went.

"No!" Alice shouted. "You can't!"

In full military mode, the Major stopped but kept his back to us, speaking over his shoulder. "Don't have a choice, Alice. Roger made it clear she never really let go of me. I won't let anyone else die because I didn't take care of business before I left, like I should have. More importantly, I won't risk you. If I can head her off—meet her in the water—I can convince her to turn around and pull her army back. Won't be long before I'll get my chance to take her down. I'll be home as soon as it's done."

Various exclamations at Jasper's insanity and growls from everyone showed how opposed we all were to such a ludicrous idea. Jasper stayed still during the family's tirade. No doubt he was feeling the pressure of all our emotions. If the onslaught caused him pain, he didn't show it.

How could he even think such a thing? How could he do that to us? To Alice? Before I could reach for his hand, Scott let out a roar as he rushed forward. He grabbed Jasper by the shoulders and spun him into the nearest tree, which cracked under the force. Stunned by my mate's action, no one moved or said a word to stop him.

I just knew that if they came to blows, someone was really going to get hurt. Jasper kept his hands down, while fists clenched tightly. His voice came out low and strained. "Somethin' on your mind?"

"If you think that I'm just gonna watch you walk away and give yourself up to _that woman,_ then you don't know me very well. I am your _brother,_ Jasper, in more ways than one. Did you actually expect me to be okay with this? To just stand here and let you go off on your own?"

Jasper eyes narrowed. "I expect you to do as you're told, _Captain,_ and it'd be nice if you'd do it without me havin' to make you."

I thought Scott had lost it when he smiled as he locked eyes with Jasper. "Not this time, Major. Carlisle, you're the leader here. What do _you_ say?" Jasper's growl was ignored. Scott knew that Jasper would respect Carlisle's position—his honor demanded it.

"I think it has been made clear we cannot agree with you giving yourself up, son. There has to be another way."

When Peter's scent hit, I turned and had never been so glad to see him and Charlotte. His eyes swept our group and landed on Jasper and Scott.

I rushed to meet them. "Peter, please help Scott talk some sense into him." I quickly gave him the rundown on what had just happened.

Peter grimaced and went straight into the fray. "Scott, you'd better have a good explanation for why your arm is up against my brother's neck." The wide grin he flashed broke a bit of the tension for the rest of us but made Jasper glare harder.

"_Our_ brother here thinks Maria's coming for him, and he wants to give himself up so no one has to fight."

Peter stepped closer, doing nothing to remove Scott's hold. "That right, Major?"

"That's right."

Just when I was certain Peter was going to punch Jasper right in the face, he surprised me. "Oh, I see. So what you're sayin' is that we shoulda let Roger take Alice when he had her?"

"NO! Don't be stupid. We had the advantage then."

"So if he'd shown up with her before the battle, you woulda just given her to the twit then?"

Jasper voice went cold. "I'd _never_ give her up."

"First off, _I'm_ not the one bein' stupid right now. Second, when did us havin' the advantage make a difference?" He pointed at his brother. "Never, that's when. I get that you'd never give Alice up. What in the world makes you think we'd give you up? Not gonna happen. So, Major, let's make one thing clear. You will have to _kill_ me to give yourself up to Maria. You got that?"

"That makes two of us," Scott added. He let go of Jasper and stepped back as he spread his arms in invitation. "So if you're up for it—let's get started."

Peter and Scott crouched side by side. Esme took a step forward, but Carlisle pulled her back gently, whispering in her ear. They both watched nervously while I prayed Jasper would see reason.

"Count me in," Emmett said as he stepped next to Peter.

The Major stood still for seven seconds as his eyes went over the three standing before him. Keeping his face neutral, he pushed off the tree slowly and lazily brushed off his shirt. "One of you better have a plan since no one seems to like mine."

"Phew!" Emmett blew out a long breath. "Glad we didn't have to go there. I hate fusing limbs back on—that stuff hurts!"

We all let out a few nervous laughs. Emmett was a good tension-breaker.

Edward words drew everyone's attention. "They've rounded up all the humans on the other side of the reservation. Who am I seeing this through? Who's over there? Okay, Embry, look slowly from one side to the other. Yes, that's fine." Silence. "I understand, is there another pack member with you? Levi? Who's Levi? Oh, I see. And, the name of the second one? Where is Joel?" More silence. "Okay. No, Sam, we've already said we would stay here unless you asked, and we will. If you'll only listen—we think we know what they want. No, we are _not_ trying to tell you how to defend your land. If you would simply–" Edward growled in frustration as he looked at his father. "They won't listen long enough for me to explain."

"Who are Levi and Joel?" Emmett asked. "I've never heard of them before."

"New pack members," Edward answered. "When our family grew, so did theirs."

I couldn't help the guilt I felt, knowing that our decision to stay had changed the lives of two boys we had never met.

Jasper had been pacing silently since his plan of self-sacrifice had been soundly rejected, his brow furrowed in thought. I had no doubt plans to make a break for the reservation were playing in his mind. Scott and Peter must have been thinking the same thing since they were staying very close to him.

Alice kept searching the future; each time, her effort ended in a long sigh, which drew her husband's attention. She answered each of his questioning looks with a shake of the head before she looked down in shame, as if it were her fault she was still blind.

Carlisle and Esme stayed close to Edward as he continued to watch the disturbing events unfold at the reservation. Sam consistently refused Carlisle's repeated offers of our help, even if it were only himself and Edward—as if the rest of us would allow that. I had a good idea that Esme would be a force to be reckoned with if her husband attempted to leave her behind.

A sudden laugh from Edward had me briefly wondering if vampires could snap from stress. A full half-minute passed before Edward said, "No Jacob, I have no idea how _Count Chocula_ knew who the Alphas were. We don't know any of the vampires there. Surely you understand why none of you can come back." After a moment of listening, Edward's expression turned angry as his eyes went black. "Jacob Black!" he yelled. "You _will_ stay where you are."

Thankfully, Carlisle took the cue to intervene. "Jacob, surely you can see that, while it would be best if you and Bella were back, we cannot risk Charlie or Sue's lives. Renesmee, being so young, would also be at great risk to be moved with the possibility of vampires in the area."

"What about the town?" Esme whispered at vampire speed.

"The pack says they can't risk being seen in wolf form and want to know if we can handle that," Edward translated.

_Wow, wolves can hear us even at full speed. Good to know._

Edward nodded at me.

Though he stayed still, Jasper's eyes went over everyone. Planning mode—I'd seen it before. His eyes lit up, and I knew he'd thought of something. I only had to wait a moment for him to decide to do it…

As expected, Alice went into a vision while her husband waited expectantly. She could only shrug. "Too much is undecided, but I don't see any danger in the town."

Jasper shook his head. "Sorry, darlin', not good enough. We need to send someone there to look around." His eyes went to Carlisle. "I suggest Rose and Emmett."

Our sire looked at Jasper with a puzzled expression. I had to admit, I shared his question. _Why them?_ Surely, Scott and Peter would be the best choice.

A growl from Edward drew everyone's attention. "They are asking that Jasper stay here. The wolves are worried that he'll cross the treaty line in order to take out the enemy."

The look on Jasper's face was murderous, but I was the one who let out a hiss. "Who are they to order _us_? When are they going to open their eyes and see that–"

A quick shake of Jasper's head stopped me from going further. Our conversation from the night of our first meeting with the pack replayed in my mind. _Right, never let them know who's really got the upper hand._

Getting the okay from Carlisle, Emmett and Rose took off. Jasper gave a quick glance at the wolf, whose back was to us, and pointed up and made a small circle with his finger.

The six of us gathered instantly.

Without saying a word, Jasper began giving directions. First, he pointed at Peter, Char, Scott and me. Alice pointed at herself. Jasper shook his head no, and Alice stomped her foot. Her husband responded by pointed to her and then to the spot next to him. When she stomped again, he kissed her head and turned his attention to the rest of us, ignoring her angry face.

_Okay then, I guess Alice stays put._

He pointed at the four of us again and made a circle, level with the ground, and then put his index fingers on the sides of his head.

_So, we're going to run the perimeter of the pack land, okay._

He pointed at Scott and Char, and then pointed north. He pointed at Peter and me and then pointed south. Then he pointed at Scott, then me, then his temple.

_We split into teams and use our gift to communicate. Sounds like a plan._

Using the benefit of vampire speed, all of this took less than a minute. Hearing a small cough, we looked from Jasper to Carlisle, who of course had seen it all. His eyes went to Jasper, and the seconds ticked by while he tapped his chin in thought.

I counted to twenty-seven before he gave a single nod, which sent our eyes back to Jasper. For some reason…whatever had grown between us…none of us would move out until he gave the signal…

A jerk of his head sent us running.

Once we were a few miles away, Peter broke the silence. "We need to stay back from the actual line. Let's say a half-mile away. That way the dogs won't pick up our scent should one of them be runnin' a patrol."

We came to a stop a half mile from the border—time to split up.

Scott leveled a serious gaze on Peter. "Look after mine and I'll look after yours."

Only Peter would have the audacity to smirk at such a time. "Yep. Brothers-in-arms and all that."

Watching them exchange a quick handshake had Char and me rolling our eyes. It felt as if our mates were making a deal to wash each other's cars. _Ugh. Men._

Peter and I had not even covered a mile when Scott's mental voice came softly. _"I know you're tired of me saying this, but please be careful."_

"_And stick to Peter." _I finished for him.

"_Yes, stick to Peter. He may be a pain, but he'll keep you safe."_

"_Whoa, is Peter getting on your good side?"_

"_No more talking. Focus."_

Peter smiled at me as we continued to run. "You know it's easy to tell when you're talkin' to him, right?" I just shook my head in shock. "The look on your face tells me you're concentratin'. It gives you away. You two need to work on that."

I feigned indifference. "I'll keep that in mind."

We searched the treaty line, carefully keeping the half-mile distance. Thankfully, no strange scents crossed our path, which meant none of the invading vampires had left the reservation. When we got within a half-mile of the coast, we turned and went back, double-checking the ground we had covered until we met Scott and Char at the place where we had parted.

The quick handshake Scott and Peter traded told me things between them were smoothing over.

Jasper looked tense when we came back. Rose and Emmett had returned after a perimeter check of the town had turned up no new scents either. Whatever the rest of Roger's army wanted, it seemed to have nothing to do with feeding, as I had feared. At least the townspeople were safe.

_Yes, but for how long?_

While they might be staying on the reservation for now, there was no telling how long that would last. No matter how you sliced it, the fact that at least two dozen vampires were in the area spelled disaster for the residents of Forks.

"What's up, Major?" Peter asked quickly.

"The wolves heard a few of the vampires sayin' the boat they've been waitin' on is comin' from the Gulf of Alaska."

"The Denalis?" Peter asked.

"Carlisle hasn't heard from them since last week. He went to the house to see if he could reach them," Jasper answered. "But, I'm pretty sure he won't. She'd make sure our allies are finished off before comin' for us here."

Scott's fist clenched. "Geez, Jasper! And you call Diane stubborn? It's not her—it's not Maria! What's it gonna take for you to accept that?"

Closing the distance between them in three long strides, Jasper stared Scott down as his anger swirled around us. For the first time since we'd accepted the Cullen crest, I thought my mate had pushed our brother too far. He put a single finger on Scott's chest. "I'll accept that it's not Maria when I know who's on that boat, and only then. You got a problem with that?"

Raising his hands, Scott took a step back. "As long as you don't go back to your plan of meeting that boat in the water, then I'm okay with that."

Many women would have been disappointed in their man, seeing him back down—not me. My pride swelled. In my opinion, it takes a real man to know when to stand up and when to back off.

Sliding his gaze to Peter, Jasper challenged, "You got somethin' to say?"

Turned out Peter was a real man, too. "Nope."

"That's good because the boat should be here any minute."

The sound of Edward's voice broke the silence far too quickly. "Quil, look back at the water. Yes, there...I see it…yes, I can tell that they've seen it, too. There are three boats. I can see two more behind the first one. Just a few minutes more, and they'll be close enough to make out who's on them."

We all went still. There was nothing to do but wait—and think. My mind went over everything that we knew, and everything we didn't. For the first time since I took my training seriously, I doubted Jasper. Scott was right, something didn't add up. Not being able to determine what that something was made me doubt my brother even more.

My mind went back to the desert. Maria had seemed so confident as she'd answered our questions—except when she'd mentioned Roger. Jasper said he'd felt determination from her when she'd quit speaking about him.

Then there was Roger himself to consider. He'd declared he'd was doing this for Maria, to show her that he was worthy of her affection. He had no reason to lie to us at that point. In his mind, we were at his mercy then. He'd told us he was going to take Jasper's head to her and _then_ she would love him.

All my thinking only led to me doubting myself. Either I had messed up with my idea of showing ourselves to Maria, or I had messed up with my idea of drawing out the enemy. The more I thought about it, the more I just _knew_ I had made a mistake. Not thinking clearly, I let my doubt reach the empath.

"That doubt for me?" he asked softly. I could swear I caught a faint trace of hurt in his voice.

I skirted the truth—just a little. "It's pretty much all for me."

His reply caught me off guard. "Then knock it off. Your plans were good. Quit lookin' for a way to take blame where there is none." He eyes went back to Edward as he began to pace between Edward and the nearest tree.

We were all are watching Edward, waiting to find out who was behind it all. Jasper muttered to whoever was listening. "We'll know whose out there soon enough. Then we'll deal with her."

Wisely, no one argued with him.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

2.12.13

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: Evelyn-Shaye

How these ladies put up with my constant struggle with the English language, I'll never know.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Please, please, let a review. Yep, still addicted. I need reviews!

I entered The Canon Tour. It's an anon contest so I can't tell you which one is mine. Go read them all and vote. There's some very fine writing there. Check it out here: u/3041014

~MA


	23. Know Thy Enemy

23

Know thy Enemy

Peter jerked his head to Jasper, and in a moment, he, Charlotte, Scott and I were surrounding him. Alice followed when her gift released her. He stood in Jasper's way to stop his pacing and ignored the glare he received. "Quit wearin' a path in the grass, Major. I've got some news for you."

"Roger's man talked," Alice said with a small smile.

"Spoilsport," Peter retorted.

Jasper's eyebrows shot up. "He talked? Thought Roger's gift would make that impossible. What'd he say?"

A clap of Peter's hands drew a frown from Scott, who never liked his theatrics. He'd told me so more than once.

"Yep." Peter gestured as he told his story. "See, once he saw Roger die, Roger's gift was broken, so he couldn't wait to tell all."

I was the first to connect the dots, or at least the first to say it. "So that means once the army on the reservation finds out Roger is dead, they will not be loyal to him anymore."

"That's right," Peter sang. "But it gets even better than that."

We all looked at him expectantly, but he just stood there, grinning like an idiot.

Grabbing him by the shirt, Jasper warned, "I swear, Peter, if you make me ask one more question before you start talkin', I'm goin' to punch you hard enough to make me feel better, and that's sayin' somethin'."

"Still a killjoy." Peter huffed as he stepped out of Jasper's grasp. "All right. They said Roger has a boss and that the boss will land at the reservation."

Scott chuckled. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but we already know that, thanks to the pack."

"Don't you get it?" Peter asked incredulously. "Roger went on and on about Maria. If she were on that boat, don't you think he would have bragged about it to his men? Sure, he would! He would have gone on and on about how his _corazón_ was comin' to see him."

Jasper rubbed his face slowly. "You may have somethin' there, but I can't be sure." He looked out in the direction of the beach, as if he could see where the boat would land. "If it's not Maria, then who?"

No one had an answer for him, and a tense silence settled over us.

Edward's strained voice captured our attention. "Yes, I see them, Sam. Three boats—they're coming fast. Just a few more seconds."

Everyone froze—our attention fixed on Edward. We became a garden of vampire statues waiting to hear the name of the enemy. The only sound was that of the wind that picked up, blowing forcefully—as if it were screaming "_Danger!"_ I used all my senses to test the area around us and came up empty. An unidentifiable threat made it that much easier to fear. We needed the last piece of the puzzle…

"Sam, keep your eyes on that middle boat." His eyes squeezed tightly as he concentrated. When his eyes popped open, I knew that those on the boat had come into view.

Shock washed over his face. "No. No, it _can't_ be." He swallowed hard. "Sam, whatever you do, stay in wolf form. I'm sorry—so very sorry."

"Who do you see?" Carlisle's hand grasped his first son's shoulder tightly. "Tell me."

With fear in his eyes, Edward looked up and rasped, "Aro. Aro is on the lead boat."

Every story told to me of the Volturi and their actions last year flooded my mind. I knew right then, there was only one truth to face—we would not survive.

My hand reached for Scott, who grabbed it and pulled me to him. Taking a moment to preserve my sanity, I closed my eyes and buried my face into his chest. For those few seconds, I was in the safest place in the world. Scott's arms tightened around me as he growled protectively. I heard the echo of my brothers' growls and imagined all the couples were wrapped around each other. Not ready to face the reality—the danger that was speeding toward us with every passing second—I allowed myself a full minute of retreat before looking up again.

Our sire looked as if he had been punched in the stomach. "I can't believe it—not again."

"Aro," Jasper spat. "The only one who'd be worse than _her_." His eyes went to Peter and Scott, and he added dryly, "I'm not above admittin' when I'm wrong."

"Right now, I wish you were right," Scott replied hoarsely. "Maria is one thing, but the _Volturi_." Scott's eyes flickered to me before looking to Edward. "The pack needs to let us over there—some of us, at least. We can stop them before they get here."

I caught the implication in my husband's words and chose to ignore it. There was nothing worth arguing over now. Time was precious and slipping away.

Alice stepped out of Jasper's embrace. "Aro decided to see the wolves and still hasn't changed his mind. That's why I never saw him." She looked at me in despair. "I never saw him."

A sharp edge was suddenly in Edward's voice. "Sam, I suggest you order everyone to phase now and stay that way. Whatever you do, don't let Aro touch you. Remember, he only has to touch you to reach your thoughts. I don't know if his gift will work on your wolf form, but you'll definitely be stronger. He may try to force you to phase back. Hold off for as long as you can. Once he reads you, he'll know we're on to him, and we'll lose the element of surprise."

"Bella," Jasper whispered. "What do you want to do?"

Edward's words came out in a rush, picking up speed as his panic set in. "Jacob, listen carefully. You can't go back to La Push, and Bella will never make it back here safely with Nessie. They attacked the reservation from two sides and could easily be anywhere by now. It's not safe for Charlie or Sue, either. You have to take them away." His fingers went to the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I can hear she is upset. I'd rather her be safe and mad at me than—" His voice broke. "No, don't tell anyone, not even me, where you're going. Tell Bella to use Jenks. She'll know what to do. Just go." Edward stifled a sob. "Tell my ladies that I love them and not to argue with you. Will you do this, for them? For me?" Seven seconds of silence filled the air. Edward's eyes stayed locked on Seth, and his head nodded intermittently. "Thank you, Jacob. I am forever in your debt—again."

Edward looked down. "He's phased back. I can't hear him anymore. Bella told me to tell you all that she loves you." Seeing him bow his head and shake in silent sobs tore at me painfully.

Moving slowly, Esme went to him. "Jacob will take good care of them, Edward. You know that." Edward nodded wordlessly, and my eyes blurred with venom that would never fall at the pain I knew he must be in.

"No Bella means no shield," Jasper murmured quietly.

With a growl, Edward was on his feet instantly. "What would you have me do?"

"Hold up," Jasper said softly. "I'm not blamin' you. I would have done the same thing. Tryin' to get her back here was too dangerous, especially since she has Nessie. Just thinkin' out loud."

Suddenly, Seth began pacing. His feet were staying just inside the border of the family land. Stopping in his tracks, he let out several sharp barks and a very menacing growl.

"Seth, pull yourself together before I do it for you," Jasper warned.

The sandy wolf studied him silently for a moment before turning his nose away again and growling softly. Satisfied with the quiet, Jasper turned back to Edward. "What's happened?"

Edward's entire body had tensed. A low, angry growl slid through his teeth, telling us things had taken yet another bad turn. "They've brought some of the tribe to the beach. I see Rachel, Kim, little Claire, and Emily." Now Edward was stiff with rage. "They're all imprints."

I had to get my head around what was happening. "Imprints? You mean like Renesmee is Jacob's imprint?" Edward gave me a curt nod. "But," I protested, "Jacob would do anything to protect her."

"I know," Edward gritted out. "So do they, it seems."

"But how would they know?" I pressed. "That can't be known much outside of the tribe."

Jasper began pacing again. "They'd only have to smell them. Wolf scent is very _distinctive_. Those who'd be close enough to the pack members to touch often would have their scent all over them, and they'd be the biggest bargainin' chips."

"Not to mention what Aro got from my thoughts when he read me last year," Edward added.

_Who was he kidding? Without a doubt, wolf stench was easily the most repulsive scent on the planet._ I didn't dare interrupt Jasper with my thought.

Still pacing, he went on. "There's only one reason to round up the imprints. They want to force the wolves to do or tell them something. And they will—we all know that. And whatever that something is—because Aro is involved—it has to do with us."

Once again, Edward's eyes locked on Seth. "The boats have stopped. They're jumping to shore."

Alice huffed. "Aro wouldn't want to mess up his suit by getting it wet. He wears Armani."

"Who do you see, Edward?" Jasper demanded. "Name everyone."

Edward nodded slowly before listing the vampires he saw. Like bricks dropping on my chest, as each name fell from his lips, I felt the weight grow heavier: Caius, Marcus, Jane, Alec, Renata, Felix, Heidi, Chelsea. Even the wives: Sulpicia and Athenodora.

The vampires that Edward didn't know, he described, and Carlisle supplied the names: Afton, Santiago, Corin.

Only one was missing. Demetri was nowhere to be seen, but Carlisle assured us he was around somewhere, biding his time.

Rose sneered. "Hail, hail, the gang's all here."

"Wait!" Edward snapped. "There are two more. It's…no…why would they join Aro?"

"Who?" Jasper asked.

"Benjamin and Tia!"

Carlisle shook his head. "I cannot believe that Benjamin would join the Volturi."

Jasper glared in the direction of the reservation. "Not willingly, you mean. Aro could have used Chelsea to bind their loyalty to him. She holds most of the guard together as it is. Benjamin used his gift last year—stands to reason that Aro would want him. Aro must have done something to _acquire_ him. Judgin' from how fiercely he stood with us last year—the words he had for the brothers then—you can bet it was somethin' big." Knowing Jasper's past, how he'd lived under Maria's thumb, I understood his anger.

"We have to do something!" Scott shouted. "Why are we just sitting here?"

Jasper's jaw tensed. "I couldn't agree more."

Ever the voice of calm under pressure, Carlisle spoke the truth we all knew. "We have no way to help them. The moment they smell us, the Volturi will attack, which will cause the wolves to fight before we get there. It will not be enough. The guard will slaughter them all."

"And that has been their plan all along," Jasper seethed. "They have succeeded in dividing us. The wolves are on their own, and so are we. Bella's out of the picture, as well."

The truth of Jasper's words washed over me, and I suddenly felt helpless. I wasn't here last year, but I knew the story. More than one of the family had told me of that day. Bella's shield and the presence of the wolves had stopped a battle that would have ended in Cullen lives lost. Not only that, but Alice's advanced warning gave the family time to rally the help of others. Now we had none of those things. We had no choice but to fight—on our own.

My eyes went to each of the vampires standing around me. They were my family. I loved them all. Looking at Scott, my chest tightened painfully. What if he was killed today? How would I go on? Surely, with the force we were facing, at least one of us, maybe more, would fall.

Edward began his narrative again. "Aro is demanding an account of all of the wolves. He's quite upset that Jacob and Seth are missing." His chuckle was out of place in the tension. "He insists there are ten wolves. He doesn't know about the two new members. He keeps asking questions that no one will answer. He's losing his patience, but they're all keeping a fair distance from the wolves."

"That won't last for long," Jasper warned. "Killing an imprint is a one-shot deal. Once he does it, all hell's goin' to break loose over there, and he won't wait forever. They're just a means to our end. Managing to cut the pack—or anyone else—off from helping us _and_ getting around Alice's vision was masterful strategy. If I weren't so angry, I might actually be impressed."

"Useless," Alice spat. "I'm utterly useless right now."

Seeing her distress, I went to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Jasper may have been deep in military mode, but he did shoot me a quick burst of gratitude.

I leaned down and whispered in my sister's ear. "Alice, don't do this. You heard Jasper. Aro did it on purpose. You told me yourself that he read you. He knows exactly how your visions work and used the wolves to get around you."

She sniffed indignantly but didn't answer. Seeing her upset, and knowing that innocents were being held as leverage against us made my hatred of the Volturi—who I'd never even met—skyrocket.

"Felix is sniffing the imprints now," Edward whispered. "What _is_ he looking for?" A low growl escaped him, and his face grew angry. "Sly as a fox, that Aro. He's picked out Emily because she's Sam's imprint. He's now threatening to hurt her and is demanding that Sam phase." His voice got louder. "Sam, once he touches you, he'll know all. No, we understand that you'll have no control. Do what you can to protect your people. We're trying to figure out some way to help."

Jasper shot across the space and jerked Edward up by his shoulders. The urgency that poured from him had me instantly on edge. "Edward! Stop reading them right now! If you're reading the pack, when Aro puts his hand on Sam, then Aro might read you. Run! You need to get out of range."

Without a word, Edward took off quickly. His speed had him out of our enhanced sight within a minute. We could only hope that he would get enough distance from Seth so his gift could not put him within Aro's reach.

"Em, go with him," Jasper ordered. "None of us should be alone right now. Carlisle's right, Demetri could be anywhere." Emmett ran after his brother, and Rose joined him.

Carlisle cleared his through and caught our attention. "Jasper, I don't believe Edward leaving was really necessary. Since he is unable to plug into the joint pack mind, he would not be susceptible to Aro. There is no link there. He is merely participating in their conversation."

Jasper rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're right about that. Sorry. Guess I overreacted. Can't really be too careful, can we?"

"Not at all," Carlisle answered softly. "Which is probably why Edward left when you told him to."

With Edward gone, we were completely cut off from the reservation and whatever horrors were going on over there. Never since awakening as a vampire had I felt so weak. Forty-five seconds had ticked by in what felt like an hour when Seth let out a howl of agony and began rolling on the ground. Carlisle went to him, but with no visible injuries, there was nothing to be done besides watch and wait for it to be over. Not knowing if he was in physical pain or was mourning the deaths of his friends was maddening. My mind was so filled with the possible deaths that could be happening at that moment I couldn't even track how many seconds passed. Then, as suddenly as his howls began, they stopped.

Seth lay on the ground panting—human and naked. Scott removed his flannel button-down and covered him.

Carlisle began firing questions. "Seth, are you hurt? What happened? Who else is injured?"

After taking a moment to control his breathing, he answered. "The guy with the long hair told Sam he'd hurt Emily if he didn't phase. Emily started screaming for Sam not to do it. Then this little girl started staring at him, and then I just felt pain. Mind-blowing pain." He sat up and took another deep breath. "Man, I feel like I should be dead."

"Jane," Jasper sneered.

"Whatever, dude, she has got to go! As soon as _Jane_ let up, Sam phased, so I was watching through Quil. The one with the long, black hair, what's his name?"

"Aro," Carlisle answered flatly.

"Okay, so that Aro dude put his hand on Sam and held on for a long time. When he let go, he said he was disappointed 'cause he wanted to keep his visit to the Cullen home a surprise."

Carlisle eyes widened. "Aro knows all. He planned everything."

"He said he'd see you soon, Carlisle. After that, they all ran off and everything went crazy." Seth stood up and tossed the shirt back to Scott. "I gotta go. Sam gave the okay."

We all stepped back, and Seth phased into his sandy wolf and bounded away.

"Scott, take Esme to get the others," Carlisle ordered tensely. "With Bella gone, she'll be the best to calm Edward. Tell Diane when you've found them, and she can tell you where to meet us."

"And give Edward my apologies," Jasper added.

With a glance at me, Scott took off with Esme. I smiled and waited for the parting instruction I knew was coming.

"_Stick close to Jasper."_

"_Will do. Be safe."_

Alice's nails digging into my arms drew my attention away from Scott, and only then did I notice that she had gone rigid with a vision. She was going in and out so fast that she couldn't talk in between them. I tried to speak to her, but Jasper flashed before me and shook his head.

He laid a gentle hand on her back. "Wait until they pass," he whispered.

With wide eyes, Alice curled into Jasper's arms. "Aro won't decide. I can see that he's in a car. He decided to go the field, then the house, then the forest, and then he cycles through them again. He's toying with me."

Jasper's voice was low and gentle, yet still tense. "Maybe he's having someone else decide. Can you watch someone else? Caius perhaps? Or Marcus?"

Alice used her gift again, but only frowned deeper when she was done. "It's not either of them. At least, I don't think it is. There are so many. I don't know who to watch."

"Try looking at our future, then. Don't think of them, just us."

After trying again, she shook her head. "We haven't decided on any action. Everything is too fuzzy."

"Okay, easy, it's all right," Jasper soothed. His arms tightened around Alice briefly before releasing her. His eyes settled on Carlisle. "How can you not decide? It's easy. We fight."

Shaking his head slowly, he said, "No, there has to be another way. There's been enough death today."

Jasper's eyes flickered to Peter, who gave him a quick nod. Then they went to me. I also gave a quick nod to his silent question—I knew Scott would agree. After stepping past Alice so there was nothing between himself and Carlisle, Jasper locked his gaze on our leader. His voice came out steady and determined. "There _is _no other way, Carlisle. The men we fought—they were Roger's men. Roger was with Aro."

"You don't know that," he offered weakly.

"Don't let your past with the Volturi blind you. Aro is here, and you heard—same as I did—what they did at the reservation." Anger seeped in to his tone. "Everythin' has been done to get to us without alerting Alice, to separate Bella from the family, and to keep the pack from helpin' us!"

Carlisle remained silent as he looked at Jasper then his gaze went over everyone standing there.

Scott's mental voice startled me._ "Diane, we found them. Where are you?"_

"_Same place. Get here quickly."_

"_Tell them we're on the way."_

"Scott and the others are on the way," I murmured, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself. I wasn't surprised when my words hung in the air unacknowledged.

Carlisle slowly shook his head. "I cannot sentence my family to die, Jasper. We do not have the wolves or Bella. If I can speak to Aro, I am sure we can work something out."

The moment I saw Jasper's hands begin to shake in rage, I stepped closer. Alice—still under the assault of shifting visions—was in no condition to try to reason with him. By the third step, his head snapped to me.

"Don't!"

I'd be lying if I said Jasper's glare didn't scare me right then. Putting my hands up, I whispered, "Major, please. Just wait for the others. Everyone should be here to talk about this."

"We are wastin' time!" he yelled at me.

It took some effort, but I didn't flinch—not one bit.

The rest of the family broke through the tree line at that moment, and I saw Scott's eyes flash in anger at Jasper then they came to me. I tried to shrug it off, but Scott stepped in front of me. His voice was cold. "What's going on?"

I ran my hand gently down the middle of my husband's back. _"He didn't mean anything by it."_

Scott nodded tightly and stepped back, pulling me to his side.

Jasper's fiery gaze stayed on Carlisle. He seemed to be waiting for him to change his mind, but it didn't look like that was going to happen.

Alice clutched at the back of Jasper's shirt. "Please," she begged. "A decision has to be made!"

"We fight." Jasper growled.

"No," Carlisle said softly.

Nearing his breaking point, Jasper's voice was harsh. "I _will not_ let Alice live in danger any longer. Last year, when they came for us—I wanted to end it then. But Bella was here with her shield, and they left. I tried to convince you then that this wasn't over, told you we could ambush them on their way out, but you wouldn't listen." His wrath washed over us. "Now look where we are!"

Alice's hand slid down her mate's arm.

Jasper stilled under her touch, his eyes following her hand until it rested on his hand and squeezed. When he looked back at Carlisle, he was calmer. "You have done so much for us. I owe you a great deal, but Alice will _always_ come first. Aro wants _her_. Not just her, but most of us. If we don't fight him today, he will simply fall back, regroup, and come back even stronger."

Carlisle's voice stayed as gentle as before while he shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry—I can't allow this. I will speak to the brothers and come to some kind of understanding. Perhaps if we agree to serve in the guard for a while…" Carlisle voice trailed off. Perhaps his idea sounded as ridiculous to himself as it did to the rest of us.

Jasper swallowed hard and he stepped back. "Then you leave me no choice. I'm no longer askin' for permission."

"Wait, Jasper," Edward rasped. "We can't fall apart, not now."

"Time is not on our side," Jasper said coolly. "Who's with me?"

Scott and Peter moved quickly. Within a moment, the six of us were standing together, looking at the other half of the family. Sorrow was etched on each face. Emmett's eyes flickered between Jasper and Carlisle with confusion.

Edward drew in a deep breath and faced his father. They shared a long look before Edward spoke. "We have known each other for a long time. I know how you hate to fight and today has already seen enough death, just as you've said. But Jasper's right. We must fight." Pain filled his voice as he whispered, "Please, _Father_, don't make me go against you. Our family needs to stick together."

After looking at each of us again, Carlisle's shoulders sagged. Only then did Alice's vision hit. When she came out if it, but said nothing, he asked her, "Can we win?"

Jasper raised a hand to stop her from answering. "I'd rather die protectin' what's ours than live as Aro's slave. That's our only other option. I can promise you that."

"The edge of the northern forest!" Alice whispered. "They drive stolen cars to mask their scent as far as they can and then go on foot the rest of the way." She went in and out of her gift. "I see the cabin. We have less than ten minutes."

Crossing his arms, Jasper spoke in that deathly calm voice that meant whatever he was about to say was as good as done. "I need to make one thing perfectly clear."

Looking weary, Carlisle simply nodded.

"I've had enough of the Volturi. They've strayed from their original good purpose. Aro will never stop until he has my Alice and has destroyed our family. I'll never let that happen. It ends now—when this all comes down, Aro is mine."

"I understand." Carlisle frowned. "I don't think I am capable to taking his life myself. He was my friend once. I can't forget that."

With a motion of his hand, Jasper had all of us gathered into a circle, and he filled us in on a plan forming in his mind. Edward made an approving hum while Emmett murmured, "Oh, yeah," a few times. Scott and Peter simply nodded. The rest of us stayed silent.

Alice busted our planning session. "We have to go now, or they will come to the house. If we let that happen, it will end badly."

"The rest we figure out after we get there," Jasper muttered. "Let's go."

As we ran, Jasper, Scott and Peter stayed close together and continued their planning, while Edward ran point and Emmett took the rear. My mind was reviewing everything I had ever heard about the Volturi. Now, more than ever, I was glad for Carlisle's method of teaching us the vampire laws through storytelling. Once I really thought things through, I realized that I knew a lot more about the Volturi than I'd thought.

The names from the stories ran through my mind. Picking out what I had heard from Edward's reading for the pack, I added Benjamin and Tia.

"Seventeen of them and eleven of us, not too bad," I muttered to myself, not speaking to anyone.

Scott and Jasper both glanced at me, and Scott beckoned me to him and took my hand without speaking.

"It's not the numbers but the gifts that make this bad for us, right?" I asked softly.

He nodded but still didn't say anything. No doubt, his mind was going over tactics, so I decided to do the same. Thinking the males of the guard would be assigned to the males of the family, I started sifting through my knowledge of the women. I thought of the wives first. Why were they even here? From what I'd heard from the others, they didn't even speak last time. So were they here out of ceremony? Perhaps the brothers didn't want their mates out of their sight to be left at home and vulnerable. Not understanding, or considering them a real threat, I pushed them aside.

Jane came to mind next. My fighting skill would be no match for her gift. No one knew of a way around it, so the fact that she was physically smaller than me wouldn't be an advantage I could exploit. However, she was limited to using her power on one person at a time, and she had to see them to make it work. I noted that as a possible weakness.

Suddenly, I felt frustrated—not knowing what they looked like put me at a disadvantage. What good were names when I had no faces to go with them? Thinking of Jasper, I reined in my emotions and locked them down. He had to be under a massive assault from the entire family already. As I reached my focus, I saw Jasper glance at me with confusion, but I set my eyes straight ahead and went back to my list.

Renata always stayed close to Aro because she was his shield. Corin stayed with the wives because her talent kept them happy. Then there was Heidi. I knew she was their fisherman; her beauty was all that was mentioned of her—no offensive gift or supreme fighting skill. Yeah, perhaps I would start with her. Still, her gift didn't help her side in battle that much, so taking her first wouldn't make much difference.

Killing Chelsea first would make a lot of difference—her gift bound them together. Surely, she would be well protected. Yes, if Jasper and Scott approved, Chelsea would be my first target.

"Just up ahead," Alice called out.

Jasper gave a quick nod and held up a hand, bringing us to a stop. A small brown cabin stood to the right of where we stopped. Instinctively, we were all silent as we used our senses to scan the area for danger. The small open space could hardly be called a clearing. Looking up at the trees, I smiled. _If this is where we fight, it'd suit me just fine_. I shook my head at using Jasper's turn of phrase. He had rubbed off on me.

Jerking his chin at the cabin, Jasper asked, "Alice, you know why they chose this place?"

"I can't tell," she answered.

His eyes went to Peter. "They still in there?"

"You know it, Major. You said no burning 'til you gave the word. They're in pieces, but I'd bet my right arm Demetri can still get a read on them."

"This is as good a place as any," Jasper murmured as he looked around.

Alice stiffened. "Two minutes."

Two minutes had never seemed so short and so long at the same time. Jasper went to Carlisle, and they quickly exchanged possible strategies before the Major began going to each of us giving orders. He was definitely in military mode and had been ever since he told us he would go after Aro on his own.

I didn't try to listen to what he said to everyone else. My mind was busy preparing for the fight. The day suddenly seemed too long as I thought of the battle we had already fought. The Volturi were a much greater force than Roger's army. My mind briefly went to the pack, and I wondered if they were fighting now or if any of them were still alive. Glancing around, I began to wonder how many Cullens would be standing when this was over. I couldn't dwell on who we could lose—I had to focus.

Jasper appeared in front of me. We shared a brief look as he held up a single finger and made a quick horizontal circle over his head. In a moment, the six of us were standing together. We had trained together, planned together, and become close. Jasper, Alice, Peter, Charlotte, Scott and me—we had become our own unit. Somehow, I knew Jasper was depending on us to take on the heavy fighters, which terrified and thrilled me at the same time.

Keeping his orders brief, he laid out his plan. When he finished, our time was up. All heads snapped to the cabin. In the distance, we could hear a soft rustling of trees and leaves. My eyes slid closed for a moment, and I prayed for the safely of my family. The enemy was closing in, and we were ready for them. We had training, skills, and our gifts…

I wasn't sure if it would be enough to save us.

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

02.24.13

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: **EvilPumpkin and****SqueakyZorro**

**2012 Edit beta: Evelyn-Shaye**

Thanks so much for all you do!

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

* * *

Please, please, let a review. Yep, still addicted. I need reviews!

I am donating a Jasper/Alice piece titled _A Date at the Zoo_ to Christmas Wishes, a Toys for Tots fundraiser. Toys for Tots is run by the US Marine Corps Reserve and puts new toys into the hands of thousands for children every Christmas. For as little as $5 you can get a compilation made up of tons of fan fics. Please donate today.

Also, check out my blog: .com

~MA


	24. Danger has a Name

24

Danger Has a Name

The stories of the Volturi's grand arrival last year played through my mind as they drew closer. A breeze picked up, swirling numerous scents around me. I counted nine before they began to blend together. With a huff, I pushed away the irritation that the sensory overload caused. Without a face to attach to each scent, it didn't do much good to sort them all out, anyway.

There was no ceremony this time, no grand entrance. They simply advanced at a steady pace into our sight. I knew the number before I saw them, but I also knew they were more skilled than Roger's men—and gifted. We would need every ounce of our training and skill to survive the remainder of the day.

Two hulking vampires appeared first, each of them two or three inches taller than Emmett and just as wide. "That's Felix on the left and Santiago on the right," Jasper whispered. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Emmett shift his weight slightly, and I briefly wondered who Jasper had assigned to take the second one. Jasper told us they were the first line of defense; they would not go down without a very hard fight.

I pushed back that thought and combed through the faces, searching for my target. When the signal was finally given, each second would be precious.

The trio of brothers came after their hulking bodyguards. Thanks to the painting in Carlisle's study, they were the only Volturi faces I knew beforehand. Aro held the center—his very presence oozed dominance. Black hair slicked back over his head; it was super-straight and fell to his shoulders. His posture was relaxed, while his eyes took in everything. He reminded me of a crime boss, but much worse. After his ruby eyes took two quick sweeps of our lines, his smile grew even wider. Something told me that the flash of his teeth was most certainly an indication of something not in our favor.

Edward's low growl confirmed this. "He's _extremely_ happy Bella's not here."

Caius and Marcus' reactions as they looked us over were as opposite as night and day. Caius donned a fierce scowl, while Marcus actually looked serene, which for some reason unsettled me more. After the brothers came to a stop, the rest of the Volturi filed in and formed loose lines behind their masters.

Keeping his voice low, Jasper named the guard members as they formed up. Waiting to set my sights on _her_, I locked my body into stillness and prepared myself for the moment our eyes met for the first time. The slightest twitch or grimace—even the softest hiss—would give me away. Such a mistake would be fatal. Total surprise was my only chance.

Growls and hisses came from both sides—no pretense of a possible peaceful outcome. They had come to destroy us, and we were determined to make sure they failed. Scratch that—I agreed with Jasper—we were there to make sure they never threatened us again.

Aro turned slightly toward those who were behind him, and their threats died away. Ours faded, too.

Silence hung in the air like a thick, suffocating blanket.

My eyes quickly took in both sides of our family's lines. Carlisle stood in his expected place at the center of our front line with Esme behind him. Edward was on his right in front of Emmett and Rose. A pang went through me as I looked at the empty space between Esme and Rose. I missed Bella, but pushed the worry away by reminding myself that she and Renesmee were somewhere safe with their furry watchdog.

Jasper stood on Carlisle's left, looking every bit the fierce warrior I knew him to be. My position only gave me a view of Jasper's profile. I didn't have to see his eyes to know they must be locked on Aro. Scott and Peter stodd in the second line, flanking Jasper with stances promising as much destruction as the Major. Behind our mates, Alice, Charlotte, and I leaned toward whichever side provided the best view.

The tense silence was broken when Carlisle's footsteps sounded lightly, crunching through the leaves on the forest floor.

One…

Two…

Three.

Laced with anger, his voice wavered when he asked, "Why, Aro?"

A careless shrug was Carlisle's first response. "What did you actually expect of me?"

"That you would honor our friendship, our history."

With a sharp clap of his hands, the leader let out a shrill laugh. "Oh, Carlisle, how little you really know me." He spread his hands apart. "Here you stand, the head of the most gifted coven on the planet—save my own—and you think I'm going to leave you alone?"

Carlisle shook his head. "We have never been a threat to you. That is _not_ the life we want. You know this, and our actions over the years have proven as much."

Although he tried to hide his anger, the ancient's eyes went black and his voice rose. "You're very _existence_ threatens me. On top of those you already have, you add two more. Not only are they gifted but _warriors_ as well!"

Scott's arm reached around me, pulling me closer, but he stayed silent. His body locked in a slight crouch as if he might spring at any moment—I dared not move lest I provoke his protective instinct further.

Sweeping his hand in our direction, Carlisle countered, "Scott and Diane joining our _family_ was unplanned. We had no idea of their gift or their fighting skill until after they had turned."

"That changes nothing!" Aro snapped. "Even without them, I would still be here."

Our sire's patience was thinning. "The truth then, Aro—our past, our friendship is owed that much. Let's have it. No games today. State your intentions clearly for all to hear. There are no witnesses this time. No need to put on a show. What do you want?"

His grin was forced. "You know _exactly_ what I want, dear Carlisle." Aro's eyes snapped to Edward then landed on Alice. "Did you really think I would just walk away without my prize? In truth, I never fully expected to win last year, but I did get quite a bit of information. I'd like to think I've used what I've learned quite well." He spread his arms open wide. "Before me stands the great Cullen family—without their wolves and without their shield."

I was shocked at his boldness. The Volturi brother not only admitted to all he had done but seemed proud of himself. The anger I had for Roger was a campfire compared to the inferno of rage I felt toward Aro. He'd held Roger's leash, using Roger to shield himself from Alice's visions. He had played us well, but the truth had still come out. He was just as responsible for my sister's death as the one who had drained her in front of me.

If Jasper hadn't already laid claim to Aro, I would've ignored my orders and charged for the root of my sister's death myself.

Aro's hands dropped, and his face set into a mask of false sadness. "There is no need for lives to be lost today. Why don't you surrender? I will be merciful." When Carlisle did not answer, Aro's eyes narrowed. "Make no mistake, this ends today. One way or another, I _will_ get what I came for."

Carlisle's shoulders went slack. He stepped backward slowly until he was between Jasper and Edward again. "Aro, I hate violence, you know this. I thought, perhaps, I could eventually overlook what happened last year. But this…no…you have gone too far." The heavy breath he drew in seemed filled with pain. My heart broke for him as I realized that he had hoped against all odds that the ones he'd once called his friends were not responsible after all.

With a broken whisper, our sire declared, "Aro Volturi, I wash my hands of you and no longer call you my friend." He traded a brief look with Edward and a longer look with Jasper before stepping back into the second line.

Caius' scowl at Carlisle's words was replaced by a false smile as Jasper took a step forward. "And so the docile Carlisle Cullen turns to others to do the work of a true leader."

"Aro," Jasper drawled with a nod, blatant disgust was clear in his voice. Once, Jasper had held respect for the leaders of the vampire world—he told me so—but he made it clear that was no longer the case. Not that it mattered to any of the brothers.

The ancient leader pretended not to notice the obvious tone of defiance. "Ah, the formidable Major Jasper Whitlock. So very nice to see you again."

"Can't say the same for you," Jasper replied icily.

Aro feigned a look of hurt on his face. "And I was so hoping that we might still be friends since you did not personally lead the assault on me and my dear ones last year."

Rage trickled from Jasper's frame; his shoulders raised a fraction and his fists clenched tightly. Despite my attempts to not let my brother's gift affect me, I hissed, which spurred my sisters to do the same.

"_Here it comes,"_ Scott warned. _"All the emotions—from both sides—must be wearing on him. He's close to losing it."_ If anyone would know, it would be a Scott.

"Assault

"That _would_ have been interesting."

Jasper tilted his head. "Doesn't matter now." He took a small step forward. "Your emotions give you away, you know. Your confidence was staggerin' until you saw us all here. Then you were shocked and disappointed. Now, I wonder why that is? And do I detect…" He lifted his head as his eyes slipped closed. "Hmm…yes—the first hint of fear."

Edward's chuckle was dark and low. "Ah, there it is. He thinks Roger is _late_."

"Nope." Jasper reached into the bag slung over his shoulder. "He was early." Pulling out Rogers head, he tossed it as if he were passing the morning paper. "You know, you really should make sure your people know how to follow orders."

Aro's hands easily caught the head, and he locked eyes with Roger for forty-seven seconds that seemed too long.

"He's reading him," Edward growled.

Jasper wasn't fazed one bit. "Good, I was hopin' for that. Saves me a lot of unnecessary talkin'."

The ancient leader's teeth snapped together as he looked up and let Roger's head drop from his hands. "It seems I put a little too much faith in Roger and his army. I always suspected he was second-best, but it appears he was even less than that. Still, my pet project has served me well over the past year."

"The past year?" Marcus asked in disbelief, his small show of emotion drawing his brothers' attention. "Why did I not know of this? Exactly how long has he been in your service?"

Aro's voice came out patronizing. "There's never been a need to burden you with their existence, Marcus. I know how my propensity for gratuitous violence upsets you."

"Always the sensitive one," Caius mocked. "However, Aro, I quite enjoy your _propensity_—as you call it. Therefore, I should have been informed." His teeth snapped shut, and he demanded, "What is your reasoning for keeping them from _me_?"

"Aw," Jasper taunted. "Seems someone's unhappy about his brother's secret minions."

Ignoring his brother, Aro nudged Roger's head back and forth with his foot. "Roger grew tired of not being 'properly appreciated,' as he called it. I offered the chance to prove himself worthy of the one his heart desired. He was quite easy to convince."

Caius refused to be brushed aside. "The next question I have is why they have not been dispatched to take care of this—" he fluttered a hand at our family "—before now."

"They have been most useful." The dark-haired plotter grinned. "Roger was crucial in testing Alice's vision. Only after Diane's human pet was…dealt with, did they catch on to my little game."

"Her name was Natalie!" I yelled. "She was my _sister_!"

Wait.

_How did he know when we guessed someone was testing Alice's vision?_

The dismissive shrug I received from Aro almost made me forget myself. "That is of no concern to me. She served her purpose."

Hearing another hiss slip from me, Scott's grip on me tightened unnecessarily. I had no intention of messing up Jasper's plan.

"Poor Alice, you have had trouble seeing Maria, haven't you? Would you like to know why?"

Alice remained silent, refusing to play his game.

"I was quite angry to find she had spoken to you. Nicely played, by the way. Even though Maria was not in on my plans, she should have reported her contact with you immediately. Felix and Santiago took pleasure in dishing out the punishment she so enjoyed giving to others. Perhaps by the time she fuses back together, I will find it in me to show her some mercy."

Laughter rang out through the Volturi. No doubt the team that attacked Maria's coven had enjoyed their work that day, and shared their story with the rest of the guard. Caius snapped a hand up, and the laughter died away. He gestured back to Aro, who was taking great pleasure in telling us all the ways we had been toyed with.

"Did you know she promised you to me, Major?" His eyes gleamed as he enjoyed Jasper's stunned silence. "Yes, all those years ago, you were to join the guard. Maria's life, as well as yours, were spared during the newborn exterminations that ended the Southern Wars. Did you really think we would spare a just punishment without some kind of payment? _You_ were to be the first installment of that payment."

"I was _never_ hers to give," Jasper seethed.

"We would have taken you when the wars were dealt with, but Maria pleaded for enough time to train your replacement—Roger. I grew tired of waiting and sent a group to escort you to your new home. Sadly, you had left Maria before then. Only her promises of delivering whatever other gifted vampires she found into our service saved her that day."

"Seems my timin' was better than I knew."

Aro smiled wider. "I sent Demetri after you. You were so distrustful then—impossible to take by surprise. Constantly stayed with Peter and Charlotte. If they had been gifted, I might have taken all of you then. And since you would have fought to the death had I killed them, I decided to leave you alone for a while. The next time I sent Demetri, I was delighted to find you had taken a mate." His eyes moved over my sister's form lustfully. "The lovely and _very_ talented Alice."

Jasper growled fiercely as his hands clenched. The anger we felt from him mingled with our own.

Aro glared at the Major. "Unfortunately for me, you never stayed in one place for long, and even after following you for three months, the right time to take both of you without the chance of losing one never came.

"My chances of taking you quietly slipped though my fingers when you found Carlisle." He sneered his former friend's name. "There was no way to forgo proper channels once you donned the coveted Cullen crest."

"Really, Aro," Marcus sighed. "Must you tell them everything?"

Turning to his bored brother, Aro raised a hand. "Allow me what little fun I can find. This will be over soon enough. Gloating to burning remains isn't nearly as satisfying."

"So all this time, Maria's been your own little supplier. The law looks the other way, she goes along doing whatever she wants and pays for your protection in blood and venom."

Jasper was baiting Aro into supplying every last bit of intel he was willing to give as he went on. To me, Aro providing us so much information meant he was confident none of us would walk away freely. In his mind, we were already dead, or his property.

"Yes, she has secretly supplied me with spies for decades. Roger was thrilled to join the Volturi—even if only in secret. He desperately wanted to prove himself to be more than Maria thought of him. However, it appears her estimation of Roger was quite accurate. _You_ were the one who got away. It is time for you to take your rightful place and join us." Aro tilted his head as he brought his fingertips together. "You have lived in your bubble of human charade long enough. Our world must have law and order. There is a price for these things, Major."

"I've paid for my sins, Aro, long ago. It's time you paid for yours."

Ignoring the threat, the Volturi leader looked down at Roger's head. "I must commend you on baiting them into showing themselves early." He paused to wipe his hands against each other as if to clean them. "Still, I was correct about your new additions. Very fierce warriors—and with their gift—_very_ effective in battle."

I quietly scoffed at using the word _warrior_ to describe me. Guess Aro wasn't as smart as he thought.

Ruby eyes filled with greed went between Scott and me, as if he were appraising something to buy. Feeling the unspoken threat to my mate, I moved to Scott's side and let out a long hiss, baring my teeth. His answering leer made my skin crawl. "A fiery temper to match, very nice." Scott's answering growl did not go unnoticed.

"Insolence!" Caius spat. "Aro, why do you put up with such disrespect?"

"Be still, brother," Aro commanded smoothly. "We are still in control here, are we not?"

Caius' smirk was the first indicator that Aro and his brothers had something up their sleeve. "You are quite correct, Aro. Shall I summon our guests?"

With a sweep of a hand, he knowingly replied, "Please do."

Caius loudly ordered, "Alec, Demetri, get them up here now!"

I looked behind the Volturi lines to see a new vampire coming through the trees with a smug grin that I wanted to rip off his face.

Edward's foot twisted in the earth, the crunching dirt and leaves drawing my attention to him. He looked at me and mouthed, "Stay calm." The look of alarm in his eyes told me he didn't think I would.

My answering nod was purely reflexive. Still, even with the warning, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next. Like the flip of a switch, my reason melted away I instinctively crouched, preparing to lunge forward. Scott's arms snapped around my waist before my second step, holding me tightly. If not for his quick reflexes and the calm that filled me at his touch, my hasty attack would have meant my death. Taking in the scene before me, I held onto my self-control by a quickly-fraying thread.

Surrounded by the mist of Alec's gift, Yani slowly walked forward with Alistair at her side. Their eyes were so lifeless that if they hadn't been walking, I would have thought them dead.

My mind tried to make sense of it all. She had been dead—Alistair said so. Now she stood before me surrounded by the enemy who had come to end us. I had too many questions and not enough answers. Right now, she was in danger, and that was not okay.

A wordless scream of rage and fear tore from my throat. Expecting a reprimand from Scott, I was surprised when his grip on me tightened. _"They're still alive. This isn't over yet, sweetheart. Not by a long shot."_

I answered with a nod. All my focus was needed to simply stay still, but I failed to stop trembling. My eyes locked on Aro, who was watching us carefully.

The demon held my gaze as he glided closer to Alistair. "Ah, love—such a double-edged sword. Having a mate is wonderful, but they are also one's biggest weakness, wouldn't you agree, Diane? One would do anything to keep them safe." Seeing Yani completely at his mercy fueled my rising anger.

He motioned to the taller of the vampires who had shoved Alistair and Yani forward. "Demetri is the greatest tracker in the world." The creep gave a smug little bow, pushing his dark, wavy hair out of his eyes as he rose. "Last year, he made scores of connections—forever locked in his mind." Aro placed his hand on the tracker. "With only one meeting, Demetri has a lock on your mental signature. Then he can find you anywhere. As we left Forks, Demetri informed me that Alistair was leaving from _this _direction." He let out a small laugh before going on. "Naturally, I gave orders to follow him. Alistair went to California where he met _this_ lovely creature." He gestured to Yani. "Demetri watched as they argued and a very dejected Alistair left all alone. That was when she was brought to me."

He praised the tracker. "So wise of you to know she would be useful."

"I live to serve, Master." Demetri bowed again.

Walking around the sedated couple, the haughty ancient reached out a hand, as if he would brush my aunt's cheek. When I warned him back with a growl, Demetri and the guard responded in kind. Aro smirked as he touched her anyway. "I read her, of course." He let out a dramatic sigh and clasped his hands together. "Imagine my sadness when I discovered that she had broken the law and was worthy of death."

"This game again," Edward fumed. "How did she break the law?"

"She revealed herself to Diane and left her alive and human."

My trembling turned to shaking as Aro's threat sank in. The thought of losing my aunt as soon as I had found her felt like lead in my chest, and I gripped Scott tighter in my effort to stay composed. Aro's spreading smile told me he enjoyed my pain. The calming waves Jasper sent were welcome as I drew in a deep breath in order to focus. I would be no good to our family if I lost control.

"You must admit, she failed to keep the secret, didn't she, Diane?" Taking my cue from Alice, I also refused to play his game; I didn't answer. "I know it's true—I have seen it in her mind. You were so young then. But tell me, did you keep her secrets?" He held out his hand, beckoning me to him. I leaned back into Scott. After clicking his tongue, he let his hand drop. "Ah, a moot point now, considering you are one of us." His tilted his head and took two steps closer. "Did you know she never quit watching you? Your wedding was quite lovely, even from afar."

A gasp came from me before I could swallow it down. The thoughts conjured with that one statement were too much. I pushed them back in my mind—now was not the time.

"So sorry, my dear, let us leave that subject, shall we?" He circled back to Alistair. "Once he learned I had his mate, Alistair came to me quickly. His loyalty to her is commendable—considering she still rejects him, even to this very day. Convincing him to gather information on the mighty Cullens was an easy matter. After all, most of us would do _anything_ to save the one we love."

My anger bubbled up again, overriding Jasper's calm, as the timeline fit together in my head. "You've had my aunt as your prisoner for almost _two years_?"

Aro tilted his head at Yani. "She has been quite comfortable. Thanks to Corin's gift, she has even been happy with us. Still, she asks for you constantly—such devotion. So when Alistair reported _your_ change, I was very intrigued. Fate has an interesting sense of humor, don't you think?"

"Let them go," I demanded.

He smile turned sly. "A trade?" He held out his hand to me. "If your thoughts prove you kept the secret, I may be convinced to let them go."

Scott released me only to grasp my wrist and pull me behind him. _"Don't even think about it, woman."_

Aro let out a long sigh. "You really have no choice. No shield, no wolves—you cannot possibly hope to defeat us."

"I know what you want, Aro," Edward growled. "Or, should I say, _who_ you want. We will never go with you willingly. Not one of us."

Turning to Edward, Aro pointed a long finger, jabbing it with his words. "Never say never, my young friend. Do not forget that not long ago, I held your life, and the life of your mate, in the palm of my hand. This very day, I do so again. Make no mistake about that."

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©2011 Midnight Ariel

03.10.13

* * *

Beta House: Project Team Beta

Betas: EvilPumpkin andSqueakyZorro

2012 Edit beta: Evelyn-Shaye

I can't let a single chapter go by without thanking the incredible SqueakyZorro. She has not only been a beta but a pre-reader as well. If not for her constant encouragement this story would not have made it past chapter 10.

Thanks also to Kherisma from Twilighted and TwilightsSingleStar from PTB for working on this chapter.

Graphic Artist: SunRay16

Please, please, let a review. Yep, still addicted. I need reviews!

~MA


	25. Significant Contact

Thanks to SqueakyZorro and EvilPumpkin for their mad beta skills.

* * *

25

Significant Contact

Looking at the Volturi brothers in turn, Edward spoke slowly, attempting to control his wrath. "I repeat: we will _never_ go with you willingly."

"Oh, young Edward, I don't really need to read Diane, do I?" Aro's fingers curled to beckon my brother forward. "I will be happy to overlook her rudeness if _you_ will indulge me."

Moving slowly, even for a human, Edward stepped forward. He had only covered half the distance to the brothers when Jasper stopped him.

"No, Edward!" Jasper shouted. I smiled internally seeing that Edward was less than five feet from Aro now. Jasper pointed his finger. "Enough of your games, Aro, you get _nothin__'_ until you name your terms."

Aro shrugged. "Truth be told, I will be content to leave with just one of you today." He eyes rested on the sister who stood to my left. "Yes," Aro hissed, "the lovely Alice. Perhaps this whole ugly affair could be overlooked if she would join us."

"Over my burnin' pile of ashes," the Major growled in a more pronounced southern drawl.

Aro waived a dismissive hand as if not to notice the rage projecting from the empath. "You would be more than welcome also, of course. We would be honored to benefit from your particular _expertise_, Major. My guard would flourish under your direction, I am sure. You both would be paid well and quite comfortable."

"Alice has no desire to join you, Aro, and I can _guarantee_ that you don't want me." Jasper took a step closer. "There's a _reason_ you've never read me, remember? A lesser man might be upset at bein' snubbed, but we both know there's more to it, now don't we?"

The ancient's eyes narrowed as he raised his finger to Jasper. "Do _not_ try to intimidate me, Major. I have never bothered to read you because you don't hide what you are or what you've done. Your crimes are as plain as the scars on your body, and the forsaking of your natural food source shows in your golden eyes." With sudden calm, Aro tiled his head and stroked his chin. "By trying to intimidate me, you have tipped your hand. Clearly, you are hiding something now. Perhaps there are secrets concerning your newest members that you don't want me to know? You do not scare me, Major. I will know everything—I always will."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of." Jasper tapped his temple. "What demons lurk up here. I'm not so sure you really want to know."

"I'd like to find out, if you would be so kind," Aro taunted as he lifted his hand.

We all knew it wasn't a request. Jasper had pushed our enemy as far as he dared until we were ready to flight. "You sure you want to do that?" Jasper walked slowly and stopped when he was next to Edward. "It'll be an awful lot for you to handle."

Anger blazed upon Aro's face. "Do not presume to know what _I_ can handle."

The Major took the last steps needed to close the distance between them. Our enemy's eyes watched him hungrily—his need to intrude on Jasper's private thoughts about to be satisfied. The Major raised his hand…

"Suit yourself."

Aro's hand shot out and grasped Jasper's hand tightly. The ancient's shoulders hunched immediately with the onslaught of Jasper's past. After twenty-eight seconds, he began to shake. Jasper let out a grunt telling us that he was using his gift to push as much fear and terror into Aro as possible. Just as he began to buckle under the weight of it all, Edward flashed over the short distance and grabbed the leader's other hand.

The old vampire tried to fight—in vain. The three men were standing so close together no one, who was not privy to our plan, knew what was really happening. To the rest of the gathering, it looked like Aro was simply reading his opponents.

As Jasper's thoughts flooded Aro's mind, his gift filled Aro's heart. The horrors of Jasper's past were the beginning of the ancient's undoing. Edward drove each thought home again as he read Jasper's thoughts and turned Aro's own gift against him when he was forced to read both of my brothers' minds simultaneously.

Only one minute and nineteen seconds had passed when Aro started screaming.

Fear pounded in to me first, making me sway on my feet. I rested my forehead in the middle of Scott's back for support. My first thought was to be shocked that I felt Jasper's gift at all. With the physical contact, Aro should have been the sole recipient of Jasper's weapon. The fact that it was seeping out around him told me just how hard the empath was pushing. What Jasper was projecting was not just fear there was an undercurrent of terror and pain mixed in. There was something familiar about it all, but in the moment I was concentrating so hard on enduring the emotional onslaught, that I didn't have the capacity to place where I had felt it before.

Before I could fully brace myself against the fear, it disappeared and was instantly replaced by an all encompassing sorrow. My chest felt hollow as if my very heart had been crushed and sucked out, leaving nothing but an aching darkness within me.

The fear and sorrow began pulsing at me in turns; each time the emotions switched my body weakened more. I felt Scott's arms around me. His embrace did absolutely nothing to help me which terrified me all the more.

The moment the torment stopped, my head snapped up, meeting Scott's worried gaze. I didn't feel him turn and face me. Not wanting to distract anyone, I reassured him silently.

"_I'm okay now."_

Knowing what was to come, I quickly moved to Scott's side so I wouldn't miss the sight. Jasper did his job with speed and precision when he twisted Aro's head from his body with a satisfying crack. As much as I wanted the satisfaction of drawing out the pain, Aro's death was quick—prolonging his well-deserved agony would have given us away.

The moment his head left his body, we all jumped into action. Ignoring the sounds of battle that were erupting all around me took a great deal of focus as I put my mind on what I needed to do. Jasper's plan seemed crazy, but I wasn't about to question it. The appearance of Alistair and my aunt was shocking to say the least. I couldn't think about them right now. I had orders to follow.

I propelled myself into the nearest tree.

Apparently, Jasper had a great deal of faith in my fighting skill—which only advanced my theory of his insanity. Now that we had our signal, Charlotte and I moved through the treetops while the family rushed forward in a swift assault. I had no idea who her target was; I only knew who my sights were set on—Jane. Even if I hadn't known her name, Jasper's brief physical description before the Volturi's arrival made her easy to pick out. A mere child when she had been changed, I knew better than to let her innocent face fool me. Jane's gift made her dangerous, as well as a valuable Volturi asset, which meant she would not go down without both strategy and skill weighing heavily in my favor.

Following orders, I stayed hidden while I watched my prey. Jasper said someone would distract her, and I would know when it happened because of her look of concentration and complete stillness topped off by what Jasper described as an "evil little grin."

Jane's head whipped quickly back and forth, as she searched out a victim. The child vamp suddenly froze and sneered—that was my cue. I quickly crept out of the canopy silently telling myself to keep my eyes on her. Nevertheless, the moment my vision was unobscured by the leaves, my eyes instinctively sought out my man.

He lay on the ground, writhing in agony under Jane's burning gaze. Peter and Emmett were each locked in battle with one of the hulking guards on either side of Scott, giving him a small measure of protection since no one would dare to get anywhere near those fights.

If not for my training, the growl in my chest would have tore right out of me and gave my position away. Using the branch as a springboard, I leapt as high as I could and everything went into slow motion in my mind as I began to descend. The temptation to shout and make my presence known in order to save Scott was great, but I knew the moment Jane's eyes fell on me I would be at her mercy—not going to happen.

When my feet landed behind her, the slow motion faded into real time and my hands went to her head—she never had the chance to turn around. Despite the feared reputation of Jane Volturi, she met her end at the hands of a newborn—without any great battle or last words. She never even saw my face until I held her head in my hands.

My eyes went to Scott, and relief filled me to see him on his feet again.

"_Never__ again, __Scott,__" _I warned in vain.

He smirked. _"__You__ know __better.__"_

He immediately shot to the left and was attacked by Demetri. As much as I wanted to rush to him, I knew I had less than five seconds before I'd be engaged again. Shifting my eyes as I began to turn, I caught a brief glimpse of Marcus on his knees with Jasper's hands on both sides of his head, and guessed he didn't have long.

Quickly locating the nearest pyre, I tossed Jane's head in—ironically, the pyre was located right behind the Volturi wives who hissed at me, but made no move to attack, so I didn't bother with them.

Looking back down to Jane's body, with the intention of taking it apart, I wasn't too surprised to see a familiar mist creeping toward me while a roar of "NO!" rang out. Alec locked on me with a fierce glare. "You murdered my sister!" he growled scathingly.

"The word _murder_ hints that she was innocent and we both know that's not true."

"I will end you," he vowed.

Alec wasn't that much taller than his sister. He too, was a child vamp and was a couple of inches shorter than I was. Knowing his gift was feared rather than his fighting skill, I told myself I could take him, but only him—against his gift I would be powerless.

With my peripheral sight, I watched Alice run past me, her path taking her right to the last Volturi line, but she got too close to Alec's mist. The moment she touched it, she simply stopped and began flailing her hands around because all of her senses had just been shut down.

Seeing the mist get closer, I took a step back, but kept my eyes on Alec as I tried to come up with a plan. My mind raced for what seemed like several minutes before one came to me.

I tilted my head and let my gaze linger on Jane's body before lifting my eyes back to her brother. "So, I'm to be granted a painless death then? How kind—to be made unfeeling by your gift when you take me apart. Is your sister unworthy of being _properly_ avenged? Perhaps you're just a coward?"

Alec growled, yet never replied—I had my answer, and my grin spread. "You _are_ afraid to fight me…interesting. Look at my yellow eyes. I'm near the end of my newborn year, and my extra strength is gone." I placed my hand on my chest. "Surely, the legendary Alec Volturi is not afraid of someone like me."

The mist continued to come at me and I steadily stepped back. I knew I was running out of time before someone took advantage of my situation and lunged at me from behind. _Time __for __a __change __in __tactics._ "I burned your sister's head, did you see? Tossed it right into the pyre—your pyre, actually." Alec growled louder and began to shake. "There's no coming back from that; she really is gone, how very sad for you. Her pretty face nothing but ash now." He took a hesitant step toward me and I knew I had him. "If someone killed my sister I would make them suffer as much pain as I could give." _And__ I __have._ "Guess you're just too soft for that, is that it?" I grinned wider and used a mocking tone. "Or maybe, she just didn't mean that much to you."

I crouched when Alec let out a cry of, "I'll kill you!" and lunged for me. Before he got close, the mist began to fade away. My bet paid off, he couldn't concentrate on his gift and his attack at the same time. I could only pray Alice would be free of Alec's gift because he was on me quickly. I jumped to the side, dodging his first attack. He spun quickly and had me in his grasp for less than a second before I landed a kick to his side that threw him back. Wanting to keep him disoriented, I ran after him and jumped. After landing on him, I struck two more blows before he spun and hit me hard in the chest. Before I could recover, he wrenched my arm back, and sank his teeth in deeply, releasing only to bite again. I stifled my yell of pain by clenching teeth together—I didn't want Scott distracted from whatever he was doing.

Grabbing the arm that hit me, I got in a bite of my own before twisting and tearing the appendage away and tossing it into the pyre that received his sister's head. His shriek of pain brought a smile to my face.

I saw him smile and was suddenly grabbed from behind while Alec charged straight for me. Whoever held me was stronger than me—fighting them both was not an option. If this was to be my last battle then I would go out fighting. My plan was simple: drop all my weight at the last minute so Alec would hit my captor instead of me. Alec was only two feet from me when the arms around me fell away, and Scott's roar filled the air. I grinned as I faced off with Alec and felt Scott's back pressed to mine for a moment until a low growl sounded behind me. Scott shot toward it so I ran at Alec. We clashed together before tumbling on the ground. We traded snaps, hits, and growls until he made his mistake and gave me an opening. I jumped straight up and landed on his back. With both of my knees between his shoulders, I removed his head and tossed it away. After taking the rest of Alec apart quickly; I picked up his head, and tossed it in the fire, leaving the rest.

Carlisle's panicked cry rang out, his volume easily rose above the noise of the battle around us. "Benjamin, no!" Spinning around I could see Benjamin, running across the space with a wild look in his eyes. "He's heading for the fire! Diane, stop him!"

His expression was one of sheer determination. I knew he had sided with the Volturi, but I also knew that Jasper thought he had been forced to do so. In fact, both Carlisle and Jasper had asked that we try to restrain him and not hurt him unless necessary. I prepared myself to do just that. Digging in my heels and putting my hands up, I braced myself for the impact. "Benjamin, stop!"

Too bad no one had told me what his gift was.

When the first gust of wind knocked me back, I didn't understand. Then I watched in awe as he swept his hand from a large boulder in my direction and the massive stone flew right at me.

_Hmm, never saw that one coming._

Jumping to the side, I twisted my body and felt a gust of air as the rock flew past me and leveled a tree. My feet had only touched the ground for a moment before I realized Benjamin had run past me and was nearly to his goal. Jumping straight up into the nearest tree, I used the advantage of my new height to jump on him and knock him to the ground.

His hands quickly reached over his head and went around my neck. Unable to get out of his grasp, I was pulled over his body and slammed into the ground. He looked at me with a stone cold expression. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you get in my away again."

Being in such a vulnerable position, my options were limited. There was no way to make a move with him towering over me. I held my hands up in submission and stalled for time. "Benjamin, what are you doing?"

He stopped and looked around with frantic glances. Then his face crumbled. "She's dead and I can't go on without her. I tried to help you and they killed her. We didn't even want to be here. Tell the others I'm sorry. They took her…I had no choice."

I moved to stand but immediately stilled when he roared at me in wordless hurt and fury.

His eyes bored into mine. "I know you are with Carlisle, but I swear to you. If you move to stop me again, there is _nothing_ that will keep me from killing you, or anyone else, who gets in my way." He turned from me and bolted.

Less than a second later, Emmett ran past me, but he wasn't fast enough.

With a final yell, Benjamin jumped the last ten feet and landed in the Volturi pyre. I froze in horror as he burned and knew the image would be forever locked in the vault of my perfect memory. He never made a sound as he disintegrated before my eyes. In my shock, I didn't fight the arms that pulled me to my feet.

"Hey, little sis, you okay?"

I blinked at my biggest brother's concerned expression. "I couldn't stop him."

His eyes went to the fire. "Don't blame yourself. Not sure you and I could've stopped him together. They got Tia. Can't say as I blame Ben for ending his pain. I'd want to do the same if I were in his shoes."

From somewhere near the front, Jasper yelled Emmett's name. He looked over and muttered, "Gotta go," and he disappeared.

I heard a wolf howl and while the creature seemed close, I couldn't see it. Searching for Scott was my priority at that moment. I growled seeing him locked in battle, and ran over to help take the enemy apart.

He saw me coming and correctly guessed my intent. He locked eyes with me and jerked his head to the back line._ "__I__'__m__ fine. __See __who __else __needs __help.__"_

I gave a quick nod and took in my surroundings as I moved. Alice and Char were each in battle and I took a long look before deciding neither of them needed help from me. I refused to look behind me, where the battle began. I couldn't bear to see who was wounded, or worse—I shoved that thought away and resolved to deal with any loss when everything was over.

Only two vampires were not fighting—the wives. They stood silently, hands folded, eyes locked on me. Thinking it was a trick, I approached cautiously, checking for an ambush. Little shocked me more that day than when they both fell to their knees before me.

Sulpicia's eyes were flat and nearly lifeless. "Our husbands are dead, and we will not fight." The surprise must have shown on my face. "This is not a ploy. Our family is gone—we wish to join them, wherever they are." Athenodora nodded silently as her hand reached out to her sister who grasped it tightly.

The heat of the battle immediately left me, and I had to stop myself from stumbling back. The noise of vampire flesh colliding and being torn faded way as I struggled to process her words. I was at a loss. To kill when under attack was one thing but this…

"Please," Sulpicia begged. "Think about it. If your husband were dead, what would you want then?"

Swallowing hard, I shook my head.

"We will attack if that is what you need, but we would rather die quickly. Please grant us that."

I moved closer to her but stopped when Athenodora whispered, "Me first…please."

Sulpicia flashed a brief smile and slid her eyes to her companion. "Afraid I'll change my mind, sister? I would never." She looked to the ground and softly agreed, "Her first."

My body went numb as I walked the three steps that put me in front of Athenodora. My brain reasoned that she wanted to die, that every member of the Volturi needed to be ended in order to protect my family. My heart argued that she wasn't fighting, that I shouldn't consider her an enemy. When she looked up at me, my resolve began to melt.

I will never forget the look of peace on her face when she whispered, "Thank you for your kindness." Only after she lowered her eyes did I swiftly take her head. Once the act was done, I let it drop to the earth because I lacked the courage to toss it into the flames.

Standing back in front of Sulpicia, I asked, "Are you sure? We can still heal her."

Her eyes met mine. "I have watched you fight; you are skilled in battle. Why do you hesitate now?"

Refusing to answer her question, I struggled to make peace with myself. "Tell me, if the battle had gone in your favor…" I trailed off, uncertain of how to ask my question.

Red eyes lit up in understanding, and her gaze turned cold. "I would not have hesitated to end you myself—of _that_ I am certain."

I scoffed at the thought of her ending me. "Well, at least you're honest."

Her eyes fell back to the ground. Aro's wife simply nodded and thanked me, just like her sister, as I raised my arms.

Perhaps when my eyes closed as my hands twisted Sulpicia's head from her body it meant I was weak. The soft thud of her head landing on the ground drove me to my knees, and I wished the day had never happened. I barely kept in my sob. Somewhere in my brain, the silence around me registered and I knew the fighting was finally over.

As I kneeled before the bodies of those who had forfeited their lives to me, emotions swirled within me like a storm. Had I done the right thing? I wasn't sure, but I _did_ l know that I had given the sisters the death that I would want if Scott had fallen. I sensed my mate before his hands rested on my shoulders, filling me with the calm that only came with his touch. I quickly steadied my breathing and stood. Scott gently turned me to him, and his eyes went over my body as his hands did the same.

"I'm fine, I whispered. "Just two this time." He took care of them quickly, and then I inspected him and quickly tended to the three bites on his shoulder and arm. One was very close to his neck and I growled before he reminded me they were all dead. The thought of how close he came to dying was among the numerous thoughts I vowed to deal with later.

I jerked my head to the bodies that lay behind me. "Can you? I just…" my voice faded.

"I've got it," he replied.

Carefully not looking behind me, I waited until Scott returned—I knew it was done then.

Walking back to the remains of Jane's body, I quickly took it apart and put it in a different pyre than the one Scott had just used; I never went near it again. A large fire had been build in the middle of where we fought, and I tossed her in there. Everyone who could had began to clear the area of all vampire flesh. Thick purple smoke filled the air.

There had been too much purple smoke that day.

Carlisle sure was busy. Rose had lost an arm and she wasn't the nicest patient. Poor Emmett tried to calm her while Carlisle fused it back on.

"Hold still, baby," my teddy-bear brother soothed.

"I am!" Rose snapped.

"Rosie, if you hold _completely_ still, we'll…" and he bent low and whispered in her ear. I started humming so I wouldn't hear what he said, but whatever he promised had Rose frozen in place.

Jasper was rubbing his arm, so I knew he had at least one bite. I noted that he had not let Alice see to it yet. It wasn't like her to let him get away with that.

Wait.

My eyes quickly took in those around me and complied a short list of those who were missing.

"Where's Alice?" I looked frantically while ran to Jasper. _No!__ Not __Alice!_ My brain screamed as I looked around. When I got to Jasper, I threw myself at him. "Jasper, where's Alice? I—I don't see her." Panic rose in my chest as I clawed at his shirt.

When calm flowed from Jasper's hands into my shoulders, I stilled. "Whoa, there. She's right here." He gestured to the left of his feet where Alice sat with her eyes closed and a small smile on her lips.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I let go of his shirt and stepped back. Good thing it was already ruined since I put my fingers through it when I clutched at him. His low chuckle made me feel even more foolish.

"She's hurt and a bit mad that I'm making here sit there 'til that hand fuses completely." He smirked when he looked at her. "Darlin', what's with the smile?"

Her eyes opened and went to me. "I saw how Diane would freak out if she couldn't find me. That's why I asked you to stand there." She let out a giggle.

His eyebrows shot up. "Thought you said the sun was in your eyes."

"It was…a little."

I sat beside her. "You're an evil little Tinkerbell, aren't you?"

She winked at me. "Thanks, I think."

"Alice," I whispered, struggling not to panic. "Esme and…the others?"

"They're in the house," Alice replied. "Esme was badly hurt. Edward, Alistair, and Yani are with her because Carlisle wouldn't have her left alone. Once everyone out here is patched up, he'll go back."

I nodded quietly. Dealing with everything that had happened was overwhelming and I decided I would deal with our surprise guests when I was calmer.

The crack around her wrist was slowly fading. She'd need to hunt soon. "You all right?"

"This is nothing. How about you?" Her eyes traveled over me. I knew I'd have to deal with Scott but was a bit irritated to have this come from her, too. Halting that thought, I immediately chided myself for not accepting Alice's affection at face value.

I shook off that thought and decided to just be happy she was okay. "Only two little bites this time, surprising, huh?"

Scott stepped in front of me. "I think you've already had your share of injuries today." His voice sounded weary, but his hands still traveled lightly down my arms as he kneeled in front of me. "Only two, you're positive?"

I rolled my eyes. "Geez, babe, you thinking of searching me?"

Scott pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. _"__Absolutely,__ but __later.__" _His reply was silent yet his smirk gave him away.

Jasper nudged him in the side with his boot. "Give me a break. I've got enough emotions to deal with right now, on top of other things."

"I'd say I'm sorry, but you know I'm not," Scott said proudly. He winked at me and then pulled me up to stand with him. I buried my face in his chest and pulled in his scent several times before turning in his arms.

Jasper just shook his head then was all business. "I'm tryin' to get a count to make sure none of the Volturi snuck off. Alice?"

"Two: Heidi and Corin."

"Scott?"

"Two."

"You countin' Demetri?" Jasper asked.

My husband shook his head. "No, you and I took him together. I'm counting Afton and Renata."

"That's fine. Diane?"

Answering his question was only going to lead to the ones I didn't want to talk about right now. When Peter and Charlotte joined them, I held onto a small hope that they would distract Jasper. No such luck.

"Diane?"

I swallowed against the lump in my throat that refused to go away. "Four."

Of all the gasps I expected to hear, Peter's was the loudest. "Four? Whoa, impressive, newborn."

My stomach twisted and I was glad when Jasper asked Peter and Char to burn the two left from Roger's army that were in the cabin since "their services were no longer needed" as he put it.

Jasper's gaze stayed on me and a knot formed in my stomach. "Who? I only assigned you Jane." His tone wasn't angry, and I relaxed a bit.

"Yeah, I went after Jane first—went down quicker than we thought. I caught her totally off guard since she was _busy._" I shot Scott a glare that he shrugged off. "Then Alec came at me after I got his sister, so I took him, too," I answered softly.

"Makes sense," he replied.

"I pulled Afton off of her. He was holding her for Alec." Scott squeezed me tighter. "I barely got there in time. By the time I took Afton out Alec was ash."

My eyes went to the ground. I knew the question was coming.

A brief reprieve came when Edward shot over. Our thoughts must have been shouting the same thing because Edward's hand went up. "Esme is in her room. Carlisle just left to care for her. Her injuries are extremely bad." He shook his head at someone's silent question. "Honestly, not even Carlisle knows, it's simply too soon to tell if…" He swallowed hard. "…if she'll recover." Our growls were reflexive. The mere thought of Esme being hurt was infuriating. "Carlisle wants her to have complete rest—no visitors. He was very adamant about that, so I suggest no one push him." Edward gave us a few seconds before going on. "Jasper, we need to check on the pack. If I can get to the treaty line, I can read one of the wolves and find out what's going on."

"Take Scott and Emmett with you," Jasper looked past me to my mate. "If there's any trouble let Diane know and forget the treaty line. Be aware there could be injured humans so hunt on the way if you need to. If you don't think you can handle it then get back here."

Placing a soft kiss on my cheek, Scott's mental voice was soft. _"__Just __tell __them__ what __happened, __it __will __be __fine.__"_

I ignored Edward's questioning look and nodded to Scott. When they left, I could feel Jasper's eyes on me.

"Diane, who were the other two?"

The knot in my stomach and the lump in my throat grew. "The wives," I choked out. "They—they asked me to…they begged me…" A sob threatened to rip from me but I swallowed it down. Something clicked within me. I could not go on drowning in regret. Those women knew exactly who their husbands were and why they were here. They had come to end my family and they lost. Suddenly, I felt the need to lock down the emotion that tried to wash over me. Squaring my shoulders, I looked Jasper in the eye. "They asked me to kill them, so I did. I made it quick since they didn't fight. End of story."

The only thing in Jasper's eyes was acceptance. "Understood."

Not having anything else to say, I kicked the dirt.

Jasper put his hand on my shoulder. "You did the right thing; you know that, don't you? If the tables had been turned, I promise you they wouldn't have been merciful to you. If you'd turned your back on them, they would've attacked." I moved to turn away, but his slight squeeze of his hand returned my eyes to him. "You did what you had to." His voice was kind, and it made me regret the turbulent emotions I seemed to constantly subject him to.

My eyes went to him. "Doesn't feel like it."

"I know. That's what separates us from them. We fight because we have to, not because we enjoy it." I guess he knew I had no response. He softly suggested, "Why don't you go sit with Alice?"

Making my way back to my sister, I leaned against the tree and slid down to the ground. I closed my eyes and tried to steal a few minutes to sort out the tangle of thoughts and feelings running through me. The fighting was over, and the threats to our family were gone. I bowed my head and lost myself in prayer as I thanked God for His protection. The entire family had survived.

The strangled howl filled the air first and was quickly followed by heavy, stumbling footsteps that drew our attention west. Jasper took off with Alice and me behind him. When we found the wolf, Scott and Emmett were already with him trailing behind helplessly as the wolf ignored their pleas to stop. Only when the massive creature looked up and saw Jasper did it fall to the ground with a thud.

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**Shameless bribe: A teaser for the next chapter will be sent to anyone who leaves a review. Thanks for reading. ~MA**


	26. Be Careful What You Wish For

**As usual, I must thank my betas: SqueakyZorro, EvilPumpkin, and Kherisma for all of their help. Now I add another name to that list. Costa, long time NWB reader and faithful reviewer has agreed to be my pre-reader. He has been great at helping me fix the plot holes I seem to dig and I am grateful for his help. Thanks!**

**On to the story. Please don't hate me. :bites nails:**

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26

Be Careful What You Wish For

Sides heaving with exhaustion as he lay on the ground, the wolf let out a low growl that stopped us from going any closer. Jasper raised his hands to show that he meant no harm, and we copied him.

Seeing the wolf's limbs begin to vibrate in the tell tale signs of phasing, Scott removed his shirt. Once the transformation was completed he placed it over the naked boy that lay before us, covered with blood. I hadn't seen so much blood since I held my sister's corpse. I was relieved to find that the wolf's blood had no appeal for me. The last thing I needed was a battle with my thirst.

Jasper shot a questioning glance at Emmett, who replied, "Edward went ahead to the line. Just to see if he could do anything."

Moving quickly, Jasper checked the boy's injuries. The look on his face told me things were very bad. "Get Edward back here."

"I'll go with him," Scott said quickly before taking off to catch up to Emmett who left without a word.

My brother looked back down at the injured pack member. "Hang on, Jared. Carlisle's busy, but Edward should be able to patch you up."

Jared shook his head and winced in pain. "Don't bother. I'm sure others need him more than I do."

"Never mind that," Jasper ordered softly. "What happened over there?"

Jared's face turned hard. "The leaders from the two groups were arguing. Something about money owed to the leeches that came first. The ones in the suits promised to pay later. The blond one…Caius they called him. He said he'd pay extra if things were 'done right.' After the vamps that came in on the boats left, things went bad." With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood from his eyelid. "They killed the elders first. Drained them right in front of everyone just to prove they meant business."

Sinking to her knees, Alice whispered, "All of them?"

"They only got Billy and Old Quil. Sue's still in Seattle with Charlie."

I shared a relieved look with Alice. "At least we know Sue and Charlie are okay."

"They cut me up with their claws but never tried to drink from me. They said my blood was foul."

"It's because you're part of the pack," Jasper explained. "It alters the blood permanently."

A small laugh came from Jared. "So I don't even tempt you, leech?"

Jasper shook his head. "Just makes you stink more, mutt." The smile Jasper gave Jared was weak.

"Had I known that, I would have bled around you more often." He sucked in a big breath and it was plain to see the action hurt him a great deal. "Once they were done making me bleed, they just tossed me aside. Guess they thought I'd die off pretty quick. But I healed up and stayed down, waiting for an opening. Anyway, after they killed the elders, the leader—Vincent—he didn't come in a boat. He came with the vamps that came out of the water. Wasn't long until he got tired of waiting for Sam to phase—turns out they didn't want to fight us in wolf form, so he threatened to bite Emily. She's his wife, you know."

"Yeah, we know."

"So when Sam refused, one of the vamps cut her. His fingernails were strong enough to slice through her skin! It was so weird. He took a few swallows and then licked the cut, and—just like that—it healed. That some super spit you have, you know that? Fr-ea-ky." Jared laughed at his own joke, and his heart began to sputter out of rhythm.

Jasper's mouth pressed into a line for a moment. "Come on, Edward," he whispered harshly.

As if on a mission to give a full report, the boy kept going. "Those dummies thought they had the whole pack, but they didn't know about Joel and Levi. They're new. They were the perfect choice to get to the school. See, back when the very first cold ones attacked our land, the elders made a plan to make sure the tribe would always survive. They made a special hiding place…in a cave…near the school. There's even an underground tunnel that leads from the school to the cave. That's what Sam was waiting for. He knew once we started fighting, most everyone on the beach was a good as dead. He wanted to make sure the kids and the teachers—along with Levi and Joel—were safe."

Alice brushed the hair out of Jared's face, trying to comfort him. "Did they make it?"

In spite of all the pain he was in, Jared smiled widely. "Sure did. Joel's a member of Sam's pack and Levi's in Jake's pack. Both bloodlines will go on." Jared coughed and we could hear the wetness in his lungs. We all knew what was filling them.

"_We are on the way, hon." _ Scott's voice sounded strained.

"_Oh, Scott, it's really bad. Hurry!"_

Jared gazed at the sky as he told the rest. "Once Joel told Sam that everyone was safe, Sam ordered Levi and Joel to stay there—he gave an Alpha order so they had no choice, they had to obey. Well, Levi had a choice, I guess. But he knew Jake would've wanted him to obey." A tear fell from the corner of his eye. "Sam's last order ensured the Quileutes and the packs would go on."

We stayed silent as we processed what that meant.

"Only then did Sam phase back. They demanded to know where Jake was. When Sam said he didn't know, one of those creeps jumped on Emily and bit her all over. Her neck, her wrists and even her ankles."

"No!" I blurted out and quickly slapped my hand over my mouth in embarrassment.

"Emily went down and started screaming. The leech that bit her said she was going to change into a vampire. Sam lost it then and took the head off the nearest one to him. Vincent said that if Sam would cooperate he'd stop Emily's change."

"Please tell me Sam didn't buy that lie!" Alice demanded.

Another wet cough told us his lungs were continuing to fill. After catching his breath, Jared went on with an angry scowl. "Sam never got the chance. Emily started clawing at the ground and screaming 'No!' over and over. Then all of a sudden she grabbed a rock and cut herself. She only did it twice before three different vamps were on her. She was dead in seconds."

We could hear the others coming and turned to the sounds of their footsteps expectantly. Edward went straight for the wounded pack member. He only examined him for a moment before standing up and shaking his head sadly.

Knowing Jared would hear me at vamp speed, I asked Edward my question silently, making sure to let Scott hear it too. _Edward, is there nothing you can do?_

His eyes never left the boy as he shook his head slowly.

_But they heal so fast? Why isn't he healing?_

Scott's arms went around me. _"Edward was reading everyone before we got here and explained it to me. There's simply too much damage. If it were only broken bones and cuts, he'd already be okay. His heart is giving out and even with his enhanced healing…it doesn't seem to be enough. Right now it's a race between the speed of his healing and if his heart and lungs can hold out long enough for him to heal."_

Edward eyes went to us. He nodded as his hand tugged at his hair.

Jared went on with his story. "After Emily was gone, everything went crazy. The people didn't last long, they were the first to go."

"The imprints?" Alice asked.

"They killed them all." Tears came as he sobbed. We all waited until he spoke again. "I got to Kim just in time to say good-bye." After he wiped his tears away, the hard look came back. "Once they were all gone, we fought with everything we had 'cuz there was no one left standing for us to worry about. We just wanted to kill them all. I'm not even sure if any of my brothers are still alive." He looked at Edward. "I know it's too late for me. Please, send Carlisle to see who he can save."

"He's already on his way," Edward answered.

Jared's gaze went to Jasper. "I had to talk you…there's something only you can do."

"Name it," Jasper urged.

"Vincent got away. We tore him up, but he went into the water before we could finish him."

In an instant, the Major was back. "Describe him."

"Just under six foot and thin. His hair is a very light blond—almost white—and he had it in a ponytail, but it was only a few inches long. Dude was pale, even for a vampire. His eyebrows and lashes were hard to see—like he had no color to his face except for his eyes. They were a very bright red. The worst part was that he smiled the whole time; he thought the death around him was funny. I wish we could've trashed him, too."

"He's long gone by now," Jasper replied fiercely. "I swear to you, Jared. If I _ever_ cross paths with him, he'll die at my hand—very slowly."

"Good to know, I know you'll keep your word." He waved weakly in the direction of the reservation. "The rest of the vamps are ash."

Purple smoke filled the air above the reservation. My first reaction was a feeling of relief, which was quickly replaced by sadness when I thought of all the innocents who had lost their lives. As a Cullen, I felt responsible and hoped I would be with Jasper when Vincent met his promised fate.

The young man coughed hard and blood bubbled from his mouth.

I couldn't take his suffering any longer. "Edward, do something!" I'm not sure what I expected my brother to do.

Edward knelt down, but Jared's large hand stopped him from anything more.

"No," he rasped. There was little room in his lungs for breath, forcing him to gasp for air "I want to go...I want to be with Kim again. Do me a favor, Cullens...move on...my people will have a hard enough time…getting past today…without more trouble."

We all nodded our heads silently. After that day, I couldn't imagine ever wanting to come back to Forks again.

Jared gazed at the sky and smiled. "I see her…my Kim…so beautiful…my own sweet angel." His voice lowered to a faint whisper. "We'll be together…forever." A final burst of blood poured from Jared's mouth and his heart stilled.

My breath stopped as I watched the light of life leave the young warrior's eyes. I realized he was only one of scores of Quileute that lay dead. I mourned the great loss of life. Yet when I looked past the blood and the dirt from his final fight, I was glad to see that he looked peaceful.

Without being asked, Emmett picked up the body and walked slowly to the reservation. Edward silently went with him. I didn't envy their task of delivering the news of yet another death to the ravaged reservation.

As Jasper watched them walk away he softly vowed, "I may not know where to look, but someday, Vincent, we will meet. Doesn't matter if it's one year or twenty. One day, you will face me." When our brothers left our sight, Jasper turned away and began cleaning up the evidence of the battle. There were still bits of vampire flesh and several tree branches to be burned. Following his example, we all did the same. The heaviness of our hearts silenced any conversation.

With my hands busy, my mind went to the place I had been avoiding since the noise of battle faded away. Just yesterday, if I had found out that Yani was alive, I would have rushed to wherever she was to hug and talk to her. Now I wanted nothing more than to stay away. Considering the fact that she was in the family home made staying away quite impossible. There was no avoiding her. I could only hope that I would like the answers she had for my newly formed questions.

I refused to think of what I was capable of doing if she didn't.

Needing to talk things through with someone, I looked around. My heart told me that Scott wasn't right for this. I needed a woman's perspective. A few more minutes of thought told me I needed _more_ than just a woman…I needed a mother.

Soon all remains of the battle had been disposed of. Only broken tree branches and scorched circles where the pyres had been gave away the horrors that had happened there. While the trees would heal their injuries, and the rains would erase the signs of the fires, the memories of the day's death and destruction would stay seared in my mind until the day I became ash.

Scott's hand slipped into mine and we went home in silence.

Lying on our bed, I curled into a ball. Everyone had gone their separate ways to clean up. Once the battle wounds were healed and the clothes we wore had been burned, everyone had gathered in the main house—except me.

After showering and burning our clothes, I convinced Scott to go on without me. He was reluctant, but I promised that I wouldn't go far nor stay away too long.

Talking to Yani should have been my first priority, but the same longing I had felt for her just the day before simply wasn't there.

Opening our front door a crack, I listened to see if anyone was lingering who might stop me. Finding no one, I ran around to the back side of the main house as quickly and quietly as possible. I had never been so glad that Jasper had insisted I learn to move silently to avoid even vampire hearing.

The window I'd planned to enter was open so I decided to slip inside. Only my head made it thought the space before Carlisle's warning growl rang out. I quickly found myself nose to nose with narrowed black eyes that demanded an explanation. His voice poured out harshly. "Diane, I left explicit directions that we_ not_ be disturbed."

Pulling back slightly, I stammered, "I-I'm sorry. I needed to know that she was all right." He must have known there was more to my visit. He simply looked at me expectantly, so I let the rest pour out. "Please, if I could speak to her. Just for a few minutes. I'll leave after that, I promise."

"I'm sorry. She's in no condition for that right now."

My heart twisted painfully to think Esme's wounds were that bad. Suddenly I felt ashamed at my selfishness. My worries were nothing compared to Esme's well-being.

I had just decided that I was not above begging when Esme's broken voice whispered, "Let her in."

"No. My dear, you need your rest."

"I'll rest after a little chat with my newest daughter."

Carlisle let out a heavy, defeated sigh. Even then, his love wouldn't let him deny her.

Her small laugh told me she knew it, too. "I promise to be a perfectly compliant patient afterwards."

My sire extended a hand to me and helped me inside. "Keep it brief, she's very weak."

When he moved back to his wife's side, I was able to finally get a good look at the woman whose heart of gold kept our family together.

She was covered in cracks—venom weeping from every wound. Only one thing would result in her injuries—she had been taken apart. The thin sheet that covered her was soaked as her life force flowed from her. Judging from where the venom was soaking through, every one for her joints had been separated, save her neck. The purple shadows under her black eyes were very dark. She looked like she hadn't eaten in months.

My angry growl was out before I could stop it. "Who did this to her?"

"Heidi," he snarled. His eyes met mine. "She'll never hurt anyone again. None of them will."

Her smile was small. "Hello, dear."

My thoughts of the battle faded away when I heard Esme's faint greeting. I moved towards to door. "I didn't know you were so weak…I should go."

"Nonsense." She beckoned me with a small wave of her hand. She could barely raise it off the bed. "Come, sit here by me."

The invitation was irresistible. Within a moment, I was stroking her hand gently, pouring out my feelings about Yani and asking her what I should do, then pouring out more before giving her a chance to speak. She listened to me ramble on until I fell silent—emotionally spent.

With a small yet sincere smile, she took my hand. "You have to be true to yourself. I know you feel you owe her your loyalty, but only you can decide who really deserves that precious gift. Things such as loyalty, respect, love…they only mean something if they are freely given. Doing so out of a sense of duty cheapens their worth."

"Thank you, Esme," I murmured softly.

When I rose to go she gripped my hand with a grasp so slight that I was scared for her. "One more thing." Her face became serious. "No matter what happens—even if you decide to go with them—you will always have a home with us."

Patting her hand, I slipped mine free. "You need to rest now."

She closed her eyes. "I promised to be a good patient and I will. Off with you now."

When I left the room, Carlisle followed me out. After he shut the door, he leaned against it and closed his eyes as he let out a weary sigh. "My apologies if I was too harsh with you. I'm just as overprotective as my sons, I'm afraid."

"I know she looks really bad, but she'll heal, right?" I looked off to the side not able to take the pain in his eyes. "I mean, she'll heal _completely_?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, he leveled his gaze on me. "I want nothing more than to say yes to that, but I will not know for sure until tomorrow. She has lost a lot of venom. Emmett is getting fresh blood for her now."

I tilted my head. "That bad?"

"I suppose I am being a tad bleak." He looked back at the door. "Seeing her…like this…she has never been hurt like this before…" He looked at the ceiling. "Being completely objective is simply not possible for me right now."

"I get it. I've been there." I tried to give him a smile, but I'm sure it was far from convincing.

He patted my shoulder. "I should get back to her."

Preparing for make my escape, I went to the nearby window and slid it open. "Yani is waiting for me."

His eyebrows shot up. "So you're going through the window…again. Is this a new thing for you?"

Looking down, I confessed, "I just don't want to see anyone else yet."

The soft chuckle that came from him sounded good after seeing such sadness a moment before. "I see. Well then, I'll leave you to it."

I waited until he went back into his room before putting my leg through the window. The light hitting my slacks showed the large spots of Esme's venom. There was no way I wanted to see everyone with clear evidence of Esme's suffering on me. Looked like another visit to my closet was in order. Quickly going back the way I came, I changed into clean clothes.

Now I was back at square one: standing at my front door with Yani still waiting for me, and me still not wanting to go. With a heavy sigh, I decided I needed some time to think things through on my own. After crossing the river, I climbed a tree near the water's edge and chose a perch where I could stare at the house.

The sun was just about to set, and I took a moment to enjoy the special golden hue that the sunlight has the last hour before it goes down for the day. As the landscape became engulfed in shadows and then darkness took over, I gave my mind back to what I had been putting off thinking about since I climbed into my leafy fortress.

Lifting my eyes from the river to the house, I was surprised to see the light in the library come on. When I heard the library window slide open, I knew my presence was being requested. Stealing one final moment of solitude, I drew in a breath and blew it out slowly. I couldn't put off facing this last bit of my past any longer.

My feet hit the cool earth soundlessly, and I jumped the river in a graceful leap that still amazed me even after all these months as a vampire.

Looking back, I gave one final glance to the beauty of the night before scaling the side of the house—taking the route that gave me a reprieve from the questioning glances of my family.

The usual peace I felt when entering the library did not fill me because of the reason for my visit. Still perched on the windowsill with my eyes downcast, I sought out my best source of calm.

"_Hon, I'm in the library."_

"_I know. I heard you scale the wall. Just talk to her, love. It will all work out, you'll see."_

"_Is that from Alice?"_

"_No, it's from me having confidence in my wife. Now quit talking to me and talk to her."_

"_Okay."_

My eyes fell on Yani before my feet made contact with the floor. Sitting in my favorite burgundy leather armchair, she looked nervous, which I understood. Yet, her unease put me on edge. Our eye contact was not harsh, but it was cautious—something I had never felt between us before.

Without breaking our gaze, I made my way across the room. I was careful to keep my pace slow and even to show no threat and no weakness at the same time. Yani's eyes followed me as I slid the blue recliner from its place and settled it, four feet away, facing her. As I sat down, I took in her appearance and, for the first time, wished that I had Jasper's gift.

"_Scott, ask Jasper what Yani's feeling,"_

"_Cheater."_

"_Just ask!"_

"_Sorry, he's not here."_

I let out a long sigh. _"Lovely. Bye."_

"Alistair told me the story of your change." She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

I kept my face blank as I stuffed down my hurt and anger. "That was beyond your control. I'd be more interested to know why you disappeared from my life in the first place."

My words came out coldly and Yani actually flinched. Seeing her fear made me freeze. The last twenty-four hours were running through my mind in a constant stream like a bad movie. My nerves felt raw and exposed. At that moment, the only place I wanted to be was in my bedroom holding onto my mate—hiding from the world. I didn't want to deal with any of this right now, and the feeling that I had no choice but to do so irritated me. Suddenly it occurred to me that the timing for this delicate conversation was all wrong. I needed more time, perhaps just a day. Yani would understand if I worded it just right…

Footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts and piqued my interest as someone came up the stairs, stopping outside of the door, blocking their scent. The sound of the paper sliding under the door had me out of my seat quickly, but not quickly enough to catch who was making the retreating steps down the staircase.

The scent wafting from the paper didn't surprise me.

_** Diane,**_

_** Don't put this off. She won't stay because Alistair is already anxious to go.**_

_** Her ring-safe is on the shelf in the corner. Give it to her. Just speak from your heart and it will all work out.**_

_** Alice.**_

I sighed heavily. So much for putting things off. Shoving the note into my pocket, I went to the corner shelf and picked up the ring safe. I turned and began to walk to Yani. She shrank back into her chair and lowered her eyes. We both knew what it meant and her action unsettled me—I stopped in my tracks.

"Why are you afraid of me? You've known me all of my life."

Her eyes stayed on the floor. "I've known you all of your _human_ life. You're different now. I saw you fighting today…you're so…fierce."

"Uh, yeah, I'm a vampire now. So what? You've must have had to fight over the years."

She still didn't look at me. "Never. After I left Alistair, I kept myself hidden and ran whenever I saw another of our kind. Once the Volturi had me there was no need to fight."

I had enough of her submissive posture. "Knock it off, Yani, and look at me. I'm _not_ going to hurt you." I got halfway to her at vampire speed and she shrank in chair again, so I stopped. I stilled my growl of frustration before it could frighten her even more and tried to remember all that she had been through. Changing my pace, I slowly walked to the table in front of her and set the ring-safe down. Keeping the same pace, I backed to my chair and sat down.

Irritation came over me as I watched her eyes go over my arms—my scars—and I understood why Jasper always wore long sleeved shirts. I had accepted the fact they were there, and I wasn't ashamed how I got them. Still, I didn't want the attention they drew. The pity or awe of others did not interest me in the slightest. Her face turned apologetic when her eyes met mine. I shrugged in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable. "Well, as you can see, I've been in a few…_disagreements_. Not that many really, but hey, it happens."

She nodded, but kept her gaze away from my arms for the rest of her talk. "I guess I owe you an explanation."

I waited.

"Alistair told you about how I was changed."

"You never told me, or anyone, Uncle Travis used to hit you. We would have helped you; you could have stayed with us."

She shook her head. "No, there's too much you don't know."

"Then start explaining. My patience is running thin after the day we've had. I'm sure you can understand that."

She twisted her hands for four agonizing seconds before she complied. "By the time I had enough control to see you, my first year had gone by. You spent all that time thinking I was dead. I should have left you alone." Her eyes flickered to me, but I remained silent. "But I just _had _to see you. I never intended on you catching me. Once you did, I couldn't stay away."

"Then why did you leave?"

"I had to protect the secret. You see that now, don't you?"

"You could have turned me. Then we'd have stayed together and still kept the secret."

"No! I didn't want this life for you."

My anger began to heat up. "So you left me, with _them_?" I asked incredulously. "Do you have any idea what it was like after…" I let my voice trail off. Did I really want to hurt her? No, I still loved her, and telling her of the pain I'd endured after she left wouldn't fix anything. Taking a deep breath, I started again. "I would have had a much better life with you."

"You were too young. If I had turned you back then, you would have never married Scott, or had your children. You deserved that happiness. That kind of happiness is rare."

"That's true, but it doesn't change the fact that you abandoned me. You left me when I needed you the most!" My voice was getting louder as my anger rose but I didn't care—the release felt good.

"I had to. I should've never let you see me. It wasn't good for you."

"You didn't give me a chance to decide for myself." My control slipped further and I shouted, "I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

Several sets of footstep were coming up the stairs. My voice had gotten too loud and I was close to scaring Yani again. I stood up and held up my hands in a peaceful gesture because she flinched again. "Please, I need a break. Perhaps we can continue tomorrow. Just, don't leave. Please."

She nodded and I walked to the door giving Yani and much space as I could. Whoever had come up the stairs had stopped and were on the other side. After preparing myself for facing them, I turned the doorknob.

Something clicked in my brain. Within a moment, I was a sixteen-year-old human again…

_A locked door—I must get in…._

_No! That's wrong. The memory is wrong!_

_A locked door—keeping me in…_

"_Where's your so-called proof?"_

_Anger—betrayal—sadness _

"_There is no such thing as vampires. They are not real. They're just hallucinations."_

"_Please, let me go home!"_

"_Not until you admit the truth."_

_Betrayal—of the worst kind. Sadness so heavy, I was drowning…_

"Diane!"

I blinked. Carlisle was looking at me with alarm. Edward, Bella, and Alice stood behind him wearing identical expressions. The remains of the library door littered the ground—splintered wood and a crumpled doorknob.

I couldn't recall causing the damage.

"I—I'm sorry…the door."

"That doesn't concern me, Diane. Are you all right? What happened?"

Ignoring Carlisle, I whirled around to Yani when the final pieces of the memory fell into place. "You _knew?_" She was on her feet now, back pressed to the far wall, eyes on the floor. Her silence answered loudly. "How could you? You left me, knowing_ that!_ I thought you loved me!" I took a step toward her before Carlisle gripped my shoulders from behind. I could feel my body shake with the effort it took to control my rage. The day had been too long and I was afraid of doing something violent—my wrath was quickly getting passed the level of my control. "I can't do this right now, but this is not over. Not by a long shot."

I turned back to my family and noted that Rose and Emmett had joined the party. "Where's Scott?"

"He and Peter are on patrol, just in case," Emmett answered. "You okay, lil' sis?"

"I'm going to find them." With a nod from Carlisle, the family parted to let me through. As I passed by Emmett I whispered, "They stay."

Without as much as a "good night" I shot out of the house through the back door. I raced to the river and leapt over it quickly. By the time my feet came back to the earth, I knew I needed to burn off some of my rage before I even attempted to talk about anything. Weaving in and out of the trees, I quickly came to the clearing. I was about to jump across it when something crashed into my side, sending me flying backward into the nearest tree, sending both it and me to the ground.

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**Thanks for reading. Only a few more chapters to go.**

**There will be a sequel, however it will have a different feel and theme than _No Way Back. _The title is _Spinal Cord_. The first three chapters are all just about ready to go and I will start posting it as soon as the last chapter is posted here.**

**~MA**


	27. Lessons Learned

**Massive thanks to my betas SqueakyZorro, Evil Pumpkin, and Kherisma. More thanks to my pre-reader Costa who keeps me and my plots in line.**

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27

Lessons Learned

After tumbling backward twice, I was more than a little annoyed to find Jasper pinning my arms to the ground.

"Nothin' like a little sparrin' to burn off the temper, darlin'." His smirk was short-lived when I pulled my knees to my chest and then shoved him off full-force with my feet.

"That right, _darlin'_?" I mocked as I watched him sail across the clearing and crash into a large tree. Perhaps he was on to something. The release that using my full strength offered was more than enough to tempt me into fighting.

He righted himself then jumped to the center of the clearing. "Yep, let's go." He curled his fingers and crouched low. "Unless you're scared. Are you, little lady?"

I rolled my eyes. "Like you need to bait me. I'm game if you are," I replied easily as I walked to my starting spot. A low growl of anticipation rumbled in my chest. "Any rules?"

"Hmmm…normally I'd say no, but for the sake of Alice and Scott…let's agree to no tearing and no biting. Think we've been through enough of that for a while." He tilted his head and studied me. "How's that?"

I focused on my disappointment to cover my intentions. "Aw, well, I guess..." I leapt at him, but he was too fast. I missed when he jumped away with an impressive back flip.

"Nice try." He taunted when he saw my scowl. "Just try that ag–"

Before he had the chance to finish, I had rebounded from my failed attack and came back fast and hard, managing a kick to the stomach that sent him back a few feet.

My victory smirk was short-lived when he came at me again, ducking at the last minute, and literally knocking my feet out from under me. Lying on my back, it took me a moment to realize exactly how I got there. Jasper leaned over me, offering a hand to help me up.

"Had enough?"

I nodded and did my best to feel defeated before shouting "No way!" and pulling him down. While his face was still down in the dirt, I jumped into the nearest tree and froze.

Jasper chuckled and I heard him dusting off his jeans. "Nice try, but you're not gettin' me to hop around up there like a monkey unless I absolutely have to."

I decide to go for some misdirection, so I leapt from one tree to another. I quickly whispered "Chicken!" and then jumped to another tree before he could pinpoint where I was. Vampire speed is a wonderful thing. From my next position I taunted, "You know I have the advantage up here." Then I quickly moved again.

His eyes darted back and forth. I smiled, realizing he didn't really know where I was. I had touched so many places as I flitted from place to place, my scent blanketed the canopy. He merely shrugged, crossed his arms over his chest, and took a wide stance. He planned to try and wait me out—using my weakness against me. Luckily for him, my patience was already broken, and it took all of three minutes before I outed myself by lunging at him from my perch.

My feet didn't even touch the ground before he had his hands on me, despite my attempt to twist out of his grasp. When it was all over, my hands were pinned behind my back and my chest shoved against a tree.

"Had enough now?"

"Fine," I huffed. He wasn't hurting me, but being restrained was uncomfortable. I made up my mind right then, that while I'd never beat him, someday I'd make it _much_ harder for Jasper to take me down.

He laughed at me as I tried to squirm out of his grip. "Nope, not good enough. Can't fool me. I feel that determination of yours. No tricks now. I want your word."

"Okay, my word. I'm really done."

He released me and gestured to the ground. "How 'bout we sit down for a bit?"

I did after I brushed off my clothes. Looking up, I was a bit surprised to find the sun already over the ridge. A new day. Uneasiness hit me, but it wasn't mine. I looked at Jasper, silently asking for an explanation.

"Feel better?" he deflected.

"Like you have to ask. Thanks."

He shrugged. "Helped me as much as it did you. Scott and I already had one round before he went on patrol, but it wasn't quite enough."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, but I won't promise I'll answer." His small smile told me he was being nice and truthful at the same time.

"The emotions you put into Aro…"

He looked surprised. "You felt them?"

"Oh yeah, you were really giving him all you had."

"What about them?"

"They felt…familiar."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "That's because part of what I used I got from you."

"Guess I'm not surprised."

"You mad at me?"

I shrugged. "No. You're an empath; it's what you do, right?"

"Right." He tilted his head. "It's okay if you're not fine with it."

Not having a reply because he was being stupid, I looked down and watched the sunlight reflect off my skin. The colors were fascinating. I attempted to ignore my scars.

"I'll never understand it," he grumbled.

"What?"

"The sparklin'. I mean, come on, we're at the top of the food chain, and we _sparkle?_ Sure, it looks fine on you girls, but on me, it's ridiculous."

I laughed. "I like it. Besides, our sparkling protects humans. Even if we weren't forced to keep the secret because of our laws, the sparkling would let humans know to stay away from us." I twisted my arm in the light again. My eyes stopped on the scars, and I let my arm drop to my lap.

_At least I used to like it. Good thing Alice got me plenty of long-sleeved shirts._

Jasper leaned on his elbow. "I feel your disgust." I looked at him and found his eyes fixed on my arm. "Wish I could say it gets easier, but it doesn't."

The trees swayed in the breeze, and I distracted myself watching them dance. "Yani's afraid of me now. She kept looking down and curling up in her chair."

"She's showing her submission, you know that. You're a warrior. She can see it."

"No." I shook my head. "That word, title, whatever…that's for you and Scott, Peter and Char…even Alice…not for me." Jasper looked at me steadily but didn't reply. "Anyway, I don't want her submission."

"Yeah, I know, but she can't help herself. You'd better get used to it. Self-preservation is our main instinct, and gettin' someone to override that takes time and trust—lots of it."

"Didn't take me that long with you."

"That's because of who you are. I knew right away you'd make a fine warrior, and I was right." He chuckled. "Took Scott a while to get the message though."

"Stop, Jasper, I told you I'm not–"

His gaze turned into a glare. "Enough. You need to stop living in denial and face facts."

I glared back. "What facts would those be, dear brother?"

His hand snapped out and pulled my arm up between us. "That you have scars, and you have them because you fight. That each one of them represents a vampire that didn't live to see past the day they marked you. That these scars make you someone worthy of respect."

Pulling my arm back, I tried to make him understand. "I get what you're saying. But I don't feel like a warrior. I don't feel strong. I feel…" I had told myself I'd never admit it, but the words poured out anyway. "I feel weak, Jasper, because I _am_ weak." My eyes burned and I rubbed at them. "And I'm tired…so tired…of being weak." At that point, I normally would have stopped talking.

Jasper sent me just enough encouragement to push me over the proverbial edge. "Go on."

"I'm the one who's always snapping, Jasper! When Jacob wounded Scott, it took both Edward _and_ Emmett to hold me down! Do you know, for a while there, I was so out of control I couldn't even speak?"

He shrugged. "You were only three months old. No one expected you to be able to control yourself after seein' your mate hurt like that. Actually…" He gave me a small smile. "…since you didn't even bite either one of them or tear off a limb, I was a bit disappointed."

I knew he was trying to cheer me up, but I just didn't feel it, so I ranted on. "Running off after Natalie's killer on my own. Almost got turned into doggie kibble for that one, which would have started a war. Then when Carlisle told me I couldn't go with you, I threw a fit that would have made the record books. Not to mention all the times I've screamed, yelled, broken things. Jasper, it feels like I want to crawl out of my own skin! I'm the one everyone is always watching as if I'm going to explode…It's…it's…" I flopped back on the grass when my words failed me.

"Annoyin' isn't it?"

I lifted my head to see him smiling. "Are you mocking me?"

He shook his head. "No. Sorry, thinkin' of a memory."

Not wanting to see the disgust I knew would be in Jasper's eyes, I looked at the clouds as I told him what I had done. "Right before I left the house, I shredded a door. Another flashback. Another failure to control myself. Everyone will go back to keeping an eye on me. The worst part is that I know I deserve it, because I'm weak."

"Look at me," he said firmly.

I sat up and was amazed to see concern and not the disgust I feared.

"Diane, I want you to listen to me very carefully." He leaned forward and spoke slowly. "You are not weak."

"Jasper, you don't understand."

His eyes turned a little angry. "Are you sayin' you think Scott is weak?"

"No, of course not."

"Oh, I get it, so _I'm_ the weak one?"

"I never said that!"

"Then neither are you."

I just blinked at him. "You're not making any sense."

He lifted his arm and pointed to one of the bite marks. "There are only six vampires on this property that have more than six or seven of these, and you know who they are. Now why is that?"

"Circumstances?" I offered.

He scowled. "That's a chicken-out answer. Think!"

When I didn't have an answer for him, he shook his head at me. "Fine, let's try this another way. Carlisle has only a few scars and most of those are from his change. Does he strike fear into those he meets in battle?"

"Probably not."

"Probably?" He raised his eyebrows, challenging me.

"Fine, no. No, he doesn't."

"Well then, he's not as suited for battle as I am, right?"

I shook my head.

"Does that make him a coward?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're being ridiculous."

"You're deflecting."

"It doesn't make him a coward because he's not a fighter, he's a doctor."

His face turned smug. "Exactly."

"Huh?"

"Carlisle is at his best when he's where he belongs."

"Yeah, so…" I said slowly, trying to see where he was going.

He shook he head at me. "You and Scott got me to finally see this about myself. How can you do _that_ and miss completely that it applies to you, too?" He pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them. "Look, ever since I joined this family I've struggled to fit in." He looked down. "I know how you feel. I've spent a lot of time feelin' like you do."

"No way," I whispered. "Jasper, you're nothing like me. You have total control."

When Jasper started laughing, I expected it to be small and brief, but it wasn't. His laugh was loud, long, and…well, ridiculous.

I concentrated on my irritation so that he would feel it.

He straightened up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "All right, all right, I got your message. But if you'd been here even two years earlier, you'd understand why what you said was so funny." He laid back on the grass. "Let me tell you my side of the story."

"_Diane, everything okay out there?"_

"_Yeah, Jasper and I are talking. Give us an hour."_

"_Sure, I'll be in the house. Emmett challenged me to a game-off."_

I laughed. _"Have fun. I'll come back to the house when were done."_

My attention went back to Jasper, who was watching me.

"Everything okay with Scott?" I opened my mouth to ask how he knew, but of course he beat me to it. "You get this look of concentration on your face; so does he. You two should work on that."

"Yeah, so I've heard," I retorted. "You were going to tell me a story…"

He gave a quick nod. "Well, you know about my time with Maria. I spent seventy-six years feeding from humans mostly at will. The feeling that human blood gives you is like no other, and it's addictive."

"Really?"

"Very. Perfect vampire memory only adds to the burden." He swallowed hard.

"I guess I can't understand because I've never…"

"I know, and it's a good thing, trust me." He took a deep breath. "See, my gift made feeding from humans a paradox. It soothed the beast but tore at my soul."

Why had I never thought of that? "You felt everything as they died."

"Yep. So when I left Maria, I starved myself to put off the pain as long as possible. The physical burn was easier to deal with than the one my _gift_ dealt me."

"Then you met Alice?"

The smile that be gave me was dazzling. "Only then did I dare to hope for a better life. Alice and I were on our own for two years before we found the family." His expression darkened. "Her visions told us they fed from animals, and she was anxious to have their yellow eyes before we met them. She took to it pretty quick—not me." He closed his eyes. "She's always been very understanding—I didn't always make it easy on her. Don't think I went more than a week before I had to have another human the whole time before we took the crest." He fell silent, and I guessed he was relieving a memory or two, so I waited. "When I came here, lasting just one day without wanting human blood was beyond me."

"And Edward always knew your desire from your thoughts," I added.

His gaze meet mine. "So true. As you know, we don't act on every thought we have. He tried to give me my space, but all my years in the wars gave me a _very_ active imagination. So he's often acted from the desires playing in my mind. It gets frustratin'."

"Not to mention it's not really helpful to one's self esteem?"

His eyes twinkled. "You been there, I know. Anyway…drinking from animals was disgusting at first, and I wanted humans constantly." Hearing this from Jasper—the one who personified mental strength and physical power—stunned me into silence.

"Then I lunged at Bella on her birthday." He began picking at the grass. "That was one of the lowest days of my long life." He glanced at me.

Attempting to put him at ease, I shrugged. "I know all about that; no need to go into it again."

Jasper waved his hand at me. "I know, I'm not telling you this because I want your pity, but I want you to understand somethin'". He sat up and gazed at me intently. "We've moved many times because I failed to control my need for human blood. I've spent _decades_ bein' the one everyone watched and waited on to slip—the weak one."

The anger that flared caught me completely off-guard. "You are _not _weak!"

He held up a hand.

"The hand, Jasper, really?"

He chuckled. "Diane, you haven't seen me tryin' to play human. It's a completely different ballgame then. Goin' to school, surrounded by delicious-smelling humans, and all the _emotions_—it riles me just to think about it. The break you and Scott have given me has been exactly what I've needed. I haven't had to play human in over a year." His gaze flickered around us, always keeping watch. "I'm not lookin' forward to goin' back."

"Then don't."

"That's easy for you to say. Bein' changed at an older age saves you from playin' student."

"But why do it?" I didn't understand. Surely, even when playing human, there was a way to spare my brother from living through the hell that high school had to be for him on a daily basis.

He tilted his head back to study the sky. "You know why."

Once I looked at things from his perspective, the answer came to me. "Alice. You do it all…stay here, play human, go to school—for her?"

"Yep."

"And you'll just keep doing it?"

"Yep. We'll move soon and start over. Then it will be my turn to be the weak one, you'll see." He let out a defeated sigh.

I had enough. "Darn it, Jasper, knock it off. Being in the wrong place doesn't make you weak—it simply makes you someone who's in the wrong place!"

The twinkle came back to his eye. "Exactly. Took you long enough."

I crossed my arms. "So you're saying I've just been misplaced?"

"Yep, just like me. Once we move things will be better for you. You'll see." He stood and put a hand out to help me up—always the gentleman. "When I'm in school tryin' to be human I'm like…like…"

"A bull in a china shop?"

He nodded. "Yep, just like that. I've spent a lot of time and mental energy just tryin' to hold still and not break the fragile little humans around me. But since you and Scott came along, there's been enough action to keep me busy and enough space for me to flex my muscles, so to speak."

"But you'll still go back, for Alice?"

"She thrives on it all." He shrugged. "Pretending to be human, shoppin', school, and there's no way I'd let her go to school without me."

"Says the possessive mate," I teased.

"I'll make no apologies for that."

"We should go back; Scott and Alice will be looking for us." He nodded, and we started walking slowly to the house.

Jasper grimaced. "No doubt everyone's talkin' about Dartmouth by now."

"Not Alice—Renesmee's party is next week." I pondered what to do with the information I'd just learned. Should I tell Alice? My first thought was that no, I shouldn't. But what if the situation was reversed? If Scott were suffering just for me…would I want to know?

"What's goin' on in that mind of yours?" the empath questioned.

I nudged his shoulder with mine. "Mind your own business." Just to keep him from asking questions I took off at a full run. By the time I yelled out, "Race you home!" I was half a mile away.

Alice was waiting for us on the front porch, looking uncomfortable.

"What's with the trepidation, darlin'?" Jasper asked as he wrapped his arms around his wife.

My arms ached for my man.

Alice looked down. "Alistair and Yani are waiting in the library for you, Diane."

My anger instantly flared, and I clenched my fist to keep myself from breaking the porch railing. "So they think they can just summon me?" Calm flowed over me and I shot Jasper a glare. "Don't. I need to deal with this on my own."

He smirked at me. "I've been waitin' a while for you to say that, too."

"You can be a real smug jerk, you know that?"

"Yep. Get used to it."

I turned from the house to gaze over the lawn and ponder my options. Putting off the inevitable was out. Frankly, I was tired of the weight of my memories and need to get things resolved. I had to put it behind me and move forward with…the rest of eternity.

Drawing in a deep breath, I blew it out slowly. "Tell her if she wants to talk to me she can do it in the living room with everyone there. I want everything out in the open and I'm tired of her flinching every time I get within five feet of her."

Jasper tilted his head and studied me. "If that's what you want."

"It is." I looked at my favorite brother. "I need a few minutes alone, please."

With nothing more, Jasper and Alice left me. I heard Jasper go up the stairs and needed a distraction so I didn't have to hear him talk to our guests.

"_Scott, I'm out on the front porch."_

He flashed to my side without answering.

"Hey you," he whispered as he embraced me from behind, placing his head on my shoulder. I sighed as our special calm, that only came with our touch, flowed through me. "You and Jasper must have had a deep conversation."

"Yeah."

"Care to share?" he teased softly.

"According to Jasper, I'm a warrior," I answered dryly. "I think you need to talk some sense into him."

Scott laughed softly. "Couldn't make you see reason, huh? Why am I not surprised?"

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. "Not you, too?"

He turned me in his arms. "You already know I never wanted this for you—a warrior's life, I mean—but the fact is that you are one. I came to grips with it a while ago."

"How long ago?"

"Right before we met Maria." His hand slid up my shirt and traced the large scar on my left side. "The night I tended to this for you. You were so calm. Then you came up with a plan so crazy to confront Maria that it was brilliant." His face turned serious as his gaze deepened. "You're stronger than I ever gave you credit for." I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Stop that," he scolded as her stroked my hair, "Deep down, you know it's true."

I looked at my husband—really looked at him, the one I had spent so many years with as a human and faced eternity with as a vampire. He'd been a jerk, he'd been over-protective, he'd been a lot of things.

But he'd never lied to me. Not once.

"You win," I muttered, looking down. I could never imagine calling myself _that._ But if Scott and Jasper said it, well, it must be true.

He tilted my head up with a finger. "You know what, you're right. I do win, because I have you."

With a sudden movement, his lips were on mine. Everything left my mind except my love for Scott. We spent several minutes lost in each other, but it wasn't long enough.

A loud cough intruded on our moment and drew a growl from both of us.

"If you two don't knock it off, I'm haulin' Alice up to our room. Then no one will be down here for your talk, I assure you."

"Fine," I huffed. "Let's get this over with." Taking Scott's hand, I whispered, "Don't let go. I'm so angry at her…I'm not sure I can keep myself in check."

Squeezing it gently, he reassured, "I'll be right beside you…forever."

Jasper looked uneasy . "There's somethin' I need to tell you two." He lowered his voice way down and stepped closer. "You're not goin' to like it, but you need to trust me."

Scott and I looked at each other for a moment before he spoke in the same volume. "Okay, let's hear it."

"Marcus is still alive."

"He got away?" Scott demanded. "Then we need to go—"

Jasper's hand went up. "I let him live."

When his grip on my hand tightened, I knew Scott was struggling not to lose his temper. "I said I'll trust you, Jasper—and I do—but I'm gonna need a little more than that."

"The Volturi may be gone, but some kind of ruling party will have to replace them or our kind will go unchecked. Now, that's one job I'm not interested in. Are you?"

"Nope."

"All right then. Marcus never really had it out for us. He just went along with what Aro wanted. So he is goin' to help set up some kind of new ruling system. One much more democratic that will prevent the kinds of things Aro was doin'."

My hand flew into the air. "So he just gets away with it? And continues to live like a king to boot?"

"Not exactly. This is where you're _really_ goin' to have to trust me. We made a deal, and part of it is that I can't talk about it."

"Not even to us?" Scott asked.

"Not to anyone, not yet." He locked eyes with my husband. "There's a timetable to this deal. When I _can_ talk about it, you'll be the first to know. You have my word on that." He stuck out his hand.

Scott shook it firmly. "Good enough for me."

I jerked my head at my mate. "If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me."

"It's better this way." Alice's eyes unfocused for seven seconds. "Too much could go wrong otherwise."

Scott kissed me softly below my ear. "You ready to go in there?"

Intertwining my fingers with his, I nodded. He went first, drawing me into the living room behind with him.

Everyone was there, paired off, with the two outsiders sitting at the far end of the room. Despite the distance, the target of my wrath curled into her mate when she saw me. Remembering what Jasper had told me, I bit back my growl of frustration and sat in the last available spot, at the opposite end of the room. My eyes slid to Alice, who gave me a small smile. I wondered how she'd seen things playing out if got too close and decided to ask her about it later.

All eyes went to me as I sat. Wearing a mask of calm, I did my best to keep the same in my voice. "That last flashback put everything in place. I know it all, Yani, and I want an explanation."

* * *

**Well, my dear readers, my little tale is coming to a close. Only two chapters left. If you have questions about what happened to someone, ask now. I am doing what i can to wrap up everything neatly (except for a couple of things that will be carried into _Spinal Cord_) so ask away.**

**All reviews will be rewarded with a teaser for the next chapter.**

**~MA**


	28. Actions Require Answers

**Mega thanks to my Betas SqueakyZorro, Evil Pumpkin, and Twlighted Validation beta Kherisma.**

* * *

From the end of the last chapter:

_Everyone was there, paired off, with the two outsiders sitting at the far end of the room. Despite the distance, the target of my wrath curled into her mate when she saw me. Remembering what Jasper had told me, I bit back my growl of frustration and sat in the last available spot, at the opposite end of the room. My eyes slid to Alice, who gave me a small smile. I wondered how she'd seen things playing out if got too close and decided to ask her about it later._

_All eyes went to me as I sat. Wearing a mask of calm, I did my best to keep the same in my voice. "That last flashback put everything in place. I know it all, Yani, and I want an explanation."_

* * *

28

Actions Require Answers

Yani's silence angered me. Attempting to give her time to speak, I searched the room. My question came out tinged with worry. "Esme?"

Looking at me, Carlisle answered, "There's nothing more that I can do for her except to let her rest." His eyes drifted to the direction of their room. "Rose is with her now."

"Then let's get this over with so you can get back to her." I opened my mouth to tell Yani to get on with it but was stopped when Carlisle shifted to face his old friend.

"I have to ask, Alistair…about what you told Diane. The story of Yani's change and the events following, including why you left us last year—how much of that was true?"

He had the nerve to look offended. "Every word I told Diane was true."

I pointed at him. "You told me Yani was dead!"

"No, I simply told you I could no longer feel her, which was true. I suspect Chelsea was interfering with our bond under Aro's orders. I didn't think such a thing was possible. However, since we never…" he cleared he throat "…_sealed_ our relationship, our bond wasn't as strong as that of most couples."

"So you only lied by omission?" I accused. "Is that supposed to make everything okay? You knew Aro had her!"

His eyes settled on me. "You have no idea what we've been through and no idea what you would have done in my situation. When the Volturi were here the first time, I really did leave because I felt her near. That was when they captured her. Aro told you the rest."

The smug tone in his voice grated on my nerves, so I indulged myself by imagining what it'd feel like to punch him in the face. With a look of shock, Edward jerked in his seat and turned toward me.

I laughed. _Just breaking the tension, Edward. Chill._

Jasper expertly deciphered what had happened with his gift. "See, Edward? Just 'cause you think it doesn't mean you're goin' to act on it." He shot me a knowing grin.

"I did what I had to do." Alistair defended.

Leaning forward, Jasper's eyes flashed in anger. "If you think that makes you sittin' in our home, lyin' to our faces, and gatherin' information to be used against us okay…then you have another thing comin'.

The remorse in Alistair's expression was far from convincing. "All I can do is offer my deepest apologies."

"Is that right? Well, all _I_ can do is tell you that if certain people in this room didn't look at you as family, you wouldn't see the sunrise."

"Jasper," Carlisle chided.

He simply held up his hands. "He needs to know where he stands."

I looked at my aunt. "Well?"

She looked down at her hands. I scooted forward in my seat. Scott tightened his grip on my hand, grounding me. I squeezed back, letting him know I was in control. The combination of my anticipation and impatience felt suffocating.

"Please, Yani, I deserve to hear—from you—what happened to me all those years ago."

Alistair leaned down to whisper in her ear. Of course, being in the same room, we all heard him clearly. "Just tell her everything, my sweet, we have nothing to hide now."

She shook her head, keeping her eyes on the carpet.

"Jasper," I said softly, trying to maintain control. "What's she feeling?"

Tilting his head, he looked at her intently. "Guilt and regret, but most of all, she's afraid."

Having my guess confirmed, I stood slowly, giving Scott a nod to let him know I was okay so he would release me. I walked across the room at a human pace and stopped in front of her. "Look at me, Yani," I ordered stiffly.

She did, so I stretched out my arms. "The vampires who did this to me never lived long past the moment they marked me. I know they make you fear me, but I only have killed those who were a threat to my family or to me. However, I've yet to kill in cold blood. You can see it in my eyes, I don't even _feed_ from humans."

Timid red eyes went over my arms and settled on my face.

"You have nothing to fear from me. You are still my family. I _need_ to understand what happened to me so I can let it go. I can't promise to be happy with what you have to say, but I can promise that I will not hurt you."

Alistair's eyes went from Carlisle to Jasper and back. "Does everyone feel that way? I know my actions could be looked at as an act of aggression. However, I promise you that wasn't my intent. I did what I thought was best, given the circumstances."

I turned to Jasper, who had his arm around Alice. He flipped his free hand over. "It's your call. I can live with it either way." The smallest of smiles threatened to show itself. Jasper stilled his face, but I caught it.

"See, my friend, you have nothing to fear from us," Carlisle said easily.

Alistair and Yani traded a look that had me wondering if they would run. I was not about to let that happen. I attempted to reassure them. "Just like I said, you're safe here. Now, I'm going back to my seat so you can tell us what you know."

As I went back, I felt a shot of pride from Jasper. Seeing his head nod in approval gave me a boost, and I stood a little taller as I walked back to Scott's side.

He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. _"You're doing fine."_

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the one who had the answers I needed.

Finally speaking, she asked quietly, "Do you remember me visiting you?"

I stuffed down my frustration and answered evenly. "We're not here so I can answer your questions. I want to hear it all—the whole story—from you."

She fidgeted for only a few moments, but they dragged into hours in my mind. Just when it felt as if I couldn't wait another second, Alistair reached over and took his mate by the hand. "My dear, just start from when we parted ways. She knows everything that happened before that."

After a quick nod, she finally spoke. "I had to see you. When I came to your house the first time, I stayed hidden in the shadows of the orchard and watched. I did that every day for a week. Then, one day it wasn't enough—to simply watch. I desperately wanted to talk to you." Her eyes went to the floor. "I knew that I shouldn't, that revealing myself to you would break the law. Alistair told me all about the Vol—_them_ during my first month."

My urge to scream was steadily breaking to the surface when the sound of splitting wood drew my attention to my hand. The arm of Esme's colonial chair had become a pile of splinters in my fingers.

"Sorry, Carlisle."

He simply waved it away as if his wife hadn't spent a month looking for its twin that Scott sat in. I made a mental note to ask Alice to help me find one. Meeting my eyes, she winked at me.

I gave what I hoped was an encouraging gesture to Yani. "Keep going."

"We spoke several times. The last time I saw you was the night I gave you the box."

That was when I first noticed the ring on her finger. Alistair had finally revealed the true nature of the box. I decided not to mention it—bad timing and all that. Still, Yani caught on to what I was looking at. She brushed a finger over her ring and flashed a small smile that disappeared when she spoke again.

"The next night I came back, though I hadn't planned to. That's when I heard them…they were yelling at you."

I squeezed Scott's hand for support. "They heard me calling for you. My parents called me a liar—said I was making it all up to get attention—so I told them about your visits. I didn't understand what it really meant back then, or I would have kept my mouth shut."

"Yes, I know."

Jumping to my feet, my control slipped. "You _know_?" I shoved a finger at her. "How can you sit there and say those words as if they're true?"

"Diane…"Carlisle warned.

When Jasper shifted in his seat, I let out a low hiss then warned, "Don't you dare, Jasper."

His easy tone showed my hiss didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. "Wasn't goin' to—not you, anyway."

I resisted the urge to step closer and scare my aunt again. For the first time, I studied her face closely. "You feel guilty…" I trailed off as the thoughts began to weave themselves together in my brain. "You feel guilty…" I know I must have sounded crazy talking to myself. I looked to Jasper for confirmation.

He nodded, and something clicked into place.

"You feel guilty because you were _there._ Not at the farm, but _there._"

She looked down. My eyes went to Jasper for confirmation.

"Guilt…" His eyes flashed in anger as they locked on the couple. "…by the truckload."

"You were there, in that place? You knew what they did to me?" Silence stretched out into the room, wearing away the fine threads of my patience. "Answer me!"

Yani jumped in her seat and began to sob. Had I still been human, perhaps her cries would have meant something to me. For some reason, they did not evoke the pity I expected to feel.

Letting Yani off the hook was not an option for me. I had come too far and our family had been through too much. I needed to get everything out in the open. "Since you seem to be too _scared_ to tell me, then I will tell you. When I told my mother that I had been talking to my _dead aunt,_ they locked me up. Do you hear what I'm saying? They put me in a mental hospital!"

Alice gasped loudly.

"The fun didn't stop there." My voice became taunting. "Not only was I taken from my home and my sister. Oh no! I got a colorful mix of pills shoved down my throat each day, until they got tired of me fighting them, that is. Then they strapped me to a table and put whatever garbage they used on me directly into my veins. My screams from the pain their little cocktail caused didn't stop them one bit."

Yani's voice came in a whisper. "I'm so—"

"Save it!" I barked. "I'm not done. On top of the chemical torture, I was also treated to hours of counseling. By _counseling_, I mean being degraded, made fun of, and told that I was nothing more than a teenage troublemaker."

Scott stood and I leaned against him, and feeling his hands slip around me, I pulled them in tighter.

Yani had curled into Alistair. She looked so small and helpless that for a moment I felt ashamed that I held so much anger for her.

My words came out hot and fast anyway.

"So you were there, watching, listening, having all the strength of a _vampire_, yet you did _nothing_ to help me? Your own flesh and blood?"

"I had to stay hidden."

"NO!" I shouted, clutching to Scott as if my life depended on it. "You stayed hidden to save your own skin! I could have _died_ there! Don't you get that?"

Scott's arms tightened around me. _"Jasper's really struggling. You have to pull yourself together, sweetheart."_

Glancing at my brother, I felt ashamed. He sat frozen in his seat yet his hands were balled into tight fists, and they were trembling. I took a long breath and blew it out as I focused on Scott's touch. "Sorry, Jasper."

My brother looked at me a swallowed hard. "I'm fine. Keep goin' while you still have the chance."

"If you need to go…"

"You know better," he growled. "Go on."

Resolving to keep my anger down, for Jasper's sake, I continued with a softer voice. "Do you know how I got myself out of there?"

No answer.

I waited.

After five seconds, Scott broke the silence with a voice of steel. "You have caused my wife more pain than any single person or event that I can recall. That in itself gives me cause to count you as an enemy." Scott's threat was clear, and not even Carlisle attempted to correct him. "On top of that, every Cullen sitting in this room has fought to defend you. When my wife asks you a question, you _will_ answer her."

Yani finally found the courage to look me in the eye. "You told them you had lied. I was there that day, too."

"Yes, I did exactly that," I replied softly. "I told them I had made the whole thing up, that I had never seen you. And I spent _months_ feeling guilty over it. Feeling as if I had betrayed you." My short laugh was bitter. "All the while, it was me who had been betrayed—by the one I trusted more than anyone back then."

The bad memories of my human past had become a poison that had to be purged from my mind—from my very soul. "Then I spent _years_ trying to convince myself that none of it had ever happened in the first place. That I really had gone temporarily out of my mind. The sad thing is that I actually believed myself after a while."

I turned to face Scott. "I never even told the one who meant the most to me; my other half." Lowering my gaze on his shirt, I finally let it all out. "I carried the confusion around like a rock in my chest. I poured everything into my journals just to get some relief. I had Jasper burn them because after we were turned, I knew it could all be true. Our families had to be kept in the dark, especially the children. They had to be protected. I didn't want my journals brought here because I didn't want you to know my secret—that you married someone who was so messed up. I should have trusted you from the beginning." My eyes never met his because I was afraid of what I would see there as I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Ignoring the crowd in the room, Scott held me close as I sobbed, feeling the relief that bringing everything to light gave me. He pulled back to look at me. "Keeping that all inside—I can't imagine how hard this has been for you." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Never again. From here on, we tell each other everything."

"Never again," I promised.

Scott's sudden warning growl made me tense. He looked past me and warned, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you provoke her, I'm not going to hold her back."

In one swift move I stepped out of Scott's embrace and turned around to find Yani slowly approaching me, her hands raised in submission.

"Stop," I ordered.

A mix of hurt and anger flashed across her features. "I have apologized and told you what you wanted to know. I don't know what else you want from me." She took another step, only stopping when I crouched and shot out a hiss that I meant with everything in me. Her murmurs turned into pleading, "You are my blood! I need to know that we can fix this."

My breath came out in a rush of shock and I straightened. "You need? This is all about what _you_ need?"

She didn't have an answer for me. My eyes quickly went around the room. "Well, Yani, I know exactly what I need now, and I _don't _need you. You left me and went on with your life, so now I am going on with mine."

"You don't mean that! I finally have a good man. Alistair and I had to wait so long to be together. I left him to see you. I stayed away from him to see you. Then they took me…" She looked around, but finding no sympathy in the faces around her, she turned back to me. "Is it so bad that I want to have my niece, too?"

I swept my hands around the room. "I have a new family, one that loves me and has stuck with me since the crash—through all the good and more bad than I care to tell. They did it without complaint, and they did it when it made life hard for them."

Alistair stood and pointed at his mate. "She is your blood Diane! It is not right for you to treat her so."

"Sit down," Scott growled.

Our visitor raised his hands and sat slowly.

Tilting his head, Jasper closed his eyes. "There's more," he said softly. "I feel deception. What are you hidin', Yani?"

She stiffened but remained silent. Her game was beyond old and for the first time in my immortal life, my hands twitched with the desire to hurt someone who posed no threat to me.

My shame only lasted until Edward shared what he knew.

"Tell her or I will," he warned. "I've been silent until now, but I already know everything. Did you honestly think I would let you leave without telling Diane the whole truth?'

A low growl from Jasper drew my eyes to him as he rose from his seat and slowly walked across the room. "Peter, why am I gettin' guilt from _you_?"

Peter swallowed hard when Charlotte nudged him with her shoulder. "That's not really for me to say." His eyes went to Yani who refused to acknowledge him.

"The only connection I can think of, is that you're the ones who brought Yani to the family in the first place, in 1987."

Edward groaned. "Oh, this just keeps getting deeper. You had no right to keep that from her, Peter, or any of us."

Peter looked down. "She had enough to deal with when we got here. I figured I'd wait until things died down before I told her." He gestured to Alistair and Yani. "It's not like it would have made a difference until they showed up."

I threw my hands in the air. "Will everyone just stop? Yani, what is it that you're not telling me?

"I'm not your aunt."

Sensing the flood of emotion that was moments away, I locked my body down and clutched onto Scott. Much to my surprise, rage—not joy—was the first and main thing to course through me. Scott tightened his grip on me and it actually felt comforting. I think someone tried to speak to me and he told them to back off. I felt myself relax just a bit hearing that, knowing that I was safe and protected in the arms of my husband.

Fully retreating inward, I went over everything that I had learned since the very first memory broke through. How I really had known Yani before my change, how she had given me the box, how she left me. The hell that I lived through afterward. The months that I spent feeling guilty that faded into years that I spent thinking I had really been crazy. Running though it all in order helped fill in the small gaps—including the very last missing human memory.

The day I looked for my birth certificate.

Scott and I were going to file for our marriage license that day. I had gone through my parents filing cabinet while they were out. No one was home and I was only weeks away from leaving the hell I had lived in never to look back. Only then did I realize that I had never seen it personally. Each time I had needed it for one thing or another growing up, my "mother" somehow produced it for me.

At first, I was confused. There were two. The first I found easily, with a sealed envelope paper-clipped to it.

I opened the envelope, finding the real certificate.

That was the day I learned the truth—I never said a word to anyone. What was the point? My "parents" would only deny it. But it did explain why they treated me with such disdain. Why tell Scott when my real parents were dead?

But now she wasn't—and I had to face her—my mother.

"Diane?" I lifted my head from Scott's chest. I couldn't remember turning to face him. "Do you want to leave?"

I blinked. Leave? Did I want to leave? No, I was done running from my past. I shook my head at Scott and turned in his arms. Clinging to him like a lifeline, I grabbed at his arms as they held me and pulled them closer again.

"_Please, don't let go." _I pled.

"_Never."_ He promised.

My eyes went to Peter. "You knew?"

He looked down for a moment before meeting my stare. "She told us back when we first met her—mentioned you by name and showed us a picture she kept in her pocket. She left out the part about Alistair though. We brought her to the Cullens because she seemed so lost, but once we got to their home, she never mentioned you to any of them. I figured she was intimidated by such a large coven."

"I missed her visit," Edward murmured. "I was on a weekend hunting trip with Emmett."

Peter ran his hand over his face when Jasper growled. "I know you think we should've told her, Major, but it wasn't my story to tell. Then things just went bad and I thought we'd tell her later."

"Later," Jasper spat. "This _late_ enough for you?"

I shrugged. "I get it, Peter. It's not worth getting upset over now."

Looking at Yani, the longing in her expression was clear. She wanted me to be her daughter. In this immortal life where blood family was torn from us, I had the chance to have not only my mother, but the one person I had confided in through my childhood.

"I remember. I never told anyone."

Yani looked at me with pleading eyes. "We can get to know each other now. Alistair and I talked it over. We want you to join us—our coven I mean."

"Why?" I demanded. "Why did you give me away?"

"You know what Travis was like. I didn't want you raised by him and he didn't want children. He was only too glad to give you up."

"I can understand you giving me up as a human. Travis was stronger and he would have hurt you."

"Yes," she whispered.

"But once you were a vampire, you could have helped me and you chose not to."

"I just want to have what we couldn't then."

"No." I gently pushed Scott's arms down because I needed to do this on my own. "You chose to leave me with _them_ even when you saw how they treated me." I took a moment to center myself. I wanted what I had to say to be clear, calm, and free of emotion. "As far as I'm concerned my mother is dead. I meant what I said before—every word. I have all the family I need."

"Please," she whispered. "Don't do this."

"The fact that you're my mother only makes what you did worse." I pointed at her. "You placed your safety—your new life—over me. Now you get to live with your choice."

Yani crumbled to the floor and Alistair flashed in front of her. "You will not do this, Diane! I will not allow her to be treated this way!"

His mistake was lowering into a crouch, his threat plain.

Had this happened when I was a newborn, I would have backed off at that point, no matter how much I wanted something or knew I was right. Even three months ago, I would have run from Alistair's show of aggression. Yet, there he was—stronger and with much more fighting experience—calling me out, and my only instinct was to answer him—loud and clear.

_My name is Diane Cullen and I am a warrior._

I shot forward. By the time my husband's growls hit my ear, my hands were on Alistair. I swung him around and down, slamming his back to the floor. A fierce snarl tore from me, and Alistair froze when warnings from my family echoed my own.

Not caring that I was perched on his stomach, I lowered my knees to his chest, getting closer—our noses were almost touching. My voice came out slow and rough. "I know you'd take me apart if we fought." I jerked my head to the crouched vampires behind me. "But they'd never let you leave this place alive." I glanced at Yani—who had curled into a ball—and back. "Now, I have let you both have your say. You are _done_ interfering in my life and the lives of my family. Leave." My eyes locked onto him, and I growled to drive my order home. "Leave now." I let go and stepped off him and continued backwards until I came to Scott's side.

My mate added one last thought. "If I _ever_ find or even hear that you've been near our children, I will forget the mercy we have shown you today."

Carlisle helped Yani to her feet. "Alistair, you've been a good friend in the past. But the decision belongs to Scott and Diane. They have made their wishes known. Please, take your mate and go."

Backing out of the room slowly, Alistair took Yani by the hand and left quickly. I closed my eyes and was filled with a sense of peace that still seemed incomplete for some reason. Pushing the "why?" to the back of my mind, I opened my eyes to find everyone looking at me.

"I'm not going to lose it." Still no one moved. "Really, everybody, I'm fine."

Scott hugged me. "You did well."

"Yeah, but I meant what I said. We have a family now. A good one." I looked around and each smiling face. "If they've put up with us through these past months…you know, all of our—"

"Marital disagreements," Scott interrupted.

"Tantrums," Jasper corrected.

"Painful mental abilities," Edward offered.

Carlisle smirked. "Not to mention the.._ahem_…_damage._"

"Thanks, dad," I replied sarcastically. "Anyway, like I was saying, if they stuck with us through all that, I think they're definitely worth keeping."

Jasper smiled. "Does that mean you're planning on sticking around, even after your newborn year is up?"

Scott punched him in the shoulder playfully. "We haven't talked about it. Why? Would you miss us?"

"Maybe," Jasper said carelessly. "Maybe not."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Liar."

Peter apologized again and again I told him I had no hard feelings. I understood why he had waited. Once Yani showed up it really was her story to tell. After Jasper decided that I really meant it, he forgave Peter, too. We were all sad when Peter announced it was time for him and Char to go.

Shaking his hand, Scott told him, "I hope you'll visit soon."

"As if you could keep me away. I have two brothers to visit now."

"Take care of yourself, Peter," Jasper cut in. "You know you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

Peter took the hand Jasper held out, shaking his firmly. "We know, but the animal diet just isn't for us."

I hugged Char tight, "I'll really miss you guys."

"We'll see each other again," she replied. "Count on it."

Without telling anyone, they already had their stuff packed in their car. So within minutes of telling us they were leaving, they were gone. Jasper stood at the front door and watched them drive away, sadness clear on his face.

The room suddenly felt too small, and I was struggling to process all that had just happened. Needing complete privacy, I wanted to do it without the resident mind reader listening in. The thought made me cast a quick glance in said brother's direction. _Sorry, Edward._

Thankfully, he was too taken with his wife to be offended. "I think we're all anxious for a little alone time with our mates." His arm slipped around Bella's waist and he guided her to the door. "Charlie and Sue are bringing Renesmee back tomorrow at ten in the morning."

Emmett was the first to head up the stairs. "Until tomorrow then, everyone. Don't hold back, Jazzman. Let the love vibes flow." He called out softly, "I know you heard me, Rosie. Get your hot self up here." Rose appeared at his side only a moment after Carlisle went to see to Esme. The next moment Em and Rose were in their own room, and we could hear fabric tearing.

"Oh, I intend to let them flow freely," Jasper replied with his eyes on Alice. He gestured up the stairs. "After you, darlin'."

Scott and I left a moment later. He was about to open our front door when I stopped him. "Umm…Scott? Can we take off for a while? Somewhere far from the others. We need to talk." I'm not sure what he saw in my face, but a look of understanding went across his. The moment his hand gripped mine, we were running into the forest.

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**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**

**As a tease, the banner for the Sequel: _Spinal Cord_, can be found on my blog. www(dot)midnightariel(dot)blogspot(dot)com**


	29. Choices

Last chapter...please don't hate me.

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29

Choices

Ironically, we ended up on the hilltop where I had vented my anger and grief to God in a fit of rage months ago. So much had happened since then. Despite what should have been a peaceful night, I felt a deep ache in my heart.

There was one last thing to do. One last path to be decided.

Silence stretched on as we both took in the beauty of the night. The rare clear sky gave us a view of the stars. Taking in the Lord's handiwork, I knew that no matter how long I'd live, that I'd never tire of seeing the night sky super-enhanced by vampire vision. I lost myself in studying each star, wondering how far away it was. The swaying of the trees held my gaze for a while. How I would love to play amongst the canopy for days without a care in the world…

A single finger ran down my arm, drawing my attention to my husband.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

"For the most part." Returning my gaze upward I asked, "What do you miss the most?"

"The children."

Swallowing hard, I struggled to keep my voice from breaking. "What…exactly?"

"Seeing them run to me when I came home from work. Feeling their arms around me as they welcomed me home."

"I miss bedtimes."

He scoffed. "You miss going into their rooms a dozen times to tell them to be quiet each night before they finally knocked out?"

"Yep. We took a lot of things for granted that we can never have again."

He took my hand and held it tightly. "I know."

My mind went through the list I had started making the day I woke up with red eyes. "Holidays with our parents. Watching them give the children way too many Christmas presents."

He laughed. "Going shooting with Dad and the guys after dinner." He pointed to his teeth. "Who needs guns when you have these? Still, I miss shooting. I was looking forward to teaching the boys how."

A sob escaped me and I looked away.

Scott turned my face to him. "Why are we doing this to ourselves? We have so much to be thankful for. Our new family. The fact that our children are provided for. Now that everything is over, we can add our health and safety to that list, too."

"You're right. We have a lot to be thankful for."

"Then why are you so sad, sweetheart?"

Taking a deep breath, I told him what had been slowly building in my heart. His first reaction was anger, but seeing that I had more to say he listened—with a clenched jaw and folded arms. However, as I went on to explain my thoughts his anger melted away and sadness took its place while he listened to my reasoning. When I reached the end of speech I had practiced, he slowly nodded. Despite his agreement, the pain on his face was clear.

We spent hours talking it all through, trying to be sure we were making the right choice. We cried and we prayed, pouring out our hearts to God and to each other. By the time we were both all talked out, we were holding each other tightly as we tried to ease the pain through our contact. We knew we were doing the right thing, but knowing that wouldn't make living with the consequences easier to bear.

That night was the hardest in my life—human or immortal.

Seeing the sky begin to lighten, Scott pulled me to my feet. "Let's head back. We need to get cleaned up."

Being in no hurry, we walked slowly, taking in the landscape. Few words were exchanged as we agreed to save our announcement. We didn't want to spoil the planned celebration. Thankfully, we made it into our little house unnoticed. We spent the entire next day and night talking everything through again. Jasper called once, just to make sure we were okay and agreed to see us the following day. When the light of the new day filtered into our room, we still hadn't changed our minds and hoped the family would be understanding.

After a quick shower, we were in the closet, getting dressed.

Scott tossed the slacks I handed him at my head. "Why would you think I'd wear those?"

I tossed them back. "Alice asked everyone to dress up for the party."

Crossing his arms, he watched them fall to the floor and asked, "And just what are you wearing?"

"This." My long-sleeved purple dress was still on a hanger. Alice had squawked when I insisted on the long sleeves, but caved when Jasper nudged her when he thought I wasn't looking. "See, we're all dressing up a bit. How often does our niece have a birthday?"

Reaching down to pick up the offending slacks he muttered, "Fine, but I'm wearing a polo, not a dress shirt."

Pulling the dress over my head I replied, "Good enough for me. If Alice doesn't like it I'm sure she'll let you know."

He shot me a knowing grin. "Alice will be just fine with it."

"Yeah, she seems to let you bend her fashion rules quite a bit."

"What can I say? I must be her favorite brother."

Slipping on my shoes, I checked my reflection and decided I was ready. "Don't let it go to your head."

When we entered the main house, I wasn't surprised to find Alice zipping around the room, adding more balloons to the room that was already full of them.

She tried getting past me, but I stopped her. "Thought you were supposed to wait for me."

"Sorry, you know how I get about parties."

I pouted. "Is there _anything_ left for me to do?"

A sly smirk told me she was up to something. "Yep there's a job for you in the kitchen. You get to deal with the unhappy birthday girl."

My mouth opened in shock. "What?"

"Just go." My short sister ordered. "You'll see."

Looking around, I found Scott playing video games with Emmett, pretending he didn't hear—the coward. So I went into the kitchen. There I found Renesmee sitting at the table looking at the most beautiful birthday cake I had ever seen—with a frown on her face.

"Hey, you," I teased. "Why is the birthday girl so unhappy?"

She shrugged.

"The cake is very pretty," I urged. "Don't you think so?"

She scowled at it.

"Is it the color? I thought pink and purple were your favorites." No answer. "It can't be the white roses, they're beautiful and the edible glitter makes them look even better."

She sighed. "You're going to keep going until I tell you, aren't you?"

Sitting next to her, I wrapped my arm around her and squeezed gently. "Only because I care."

Looking around, she leaned in as if to tell me a great secret. Her voice came out in the softest of whispers. "I'm not sure if I should tell anyone. I don't want to be a brat."

"I'd never call you such a thing," I promised.

After studying me for seven long seconds, she took me into her confidence. "There are only two candles up there." Her eyes went to the top of the four-tiered cake where there were indeed two pale pink candles.

I was confused, but tried to sound like the smart adult I should be and whispered back, "Why is that bad? You turned two today."

"No!" Her little hand slapped the table and then she quickly covered her mouth, looking around again. She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

My heart clenched when a tear feel onto her dress.

"Hey, birthday girls aren't allowed to cry." I wiped her eyes. "Now, tell me why having two candles is so bad and I will see what we can do to fix it."

She only studied me for five seconds this time before whispering again, "I age three years for every human one." I nodded because I had been told as much. "I can read and I can hunt and I can do _loads_ of things a regular two year old can't. Know why?"

Then it hit me, so I winked at her. "Because you are not two. _You_ are six."

Her little face broke out in a beaming smile. "Yay! You understand." Then her face fell. "Daddy doesn't. I heard him tell Aunt Alice he wanted two candles up there."

"Oh, I see."

My hand was placing the sixth candle in the cake when the kitchen door opened and Edward's scent hit me. The smiles Renesmee and I wore melted under his glare.

"Nessie, please go to your mother. She's ready to help you dress for the party."

"Yes, Daddy."

We both watched silently as she left the room.

Seeing him open his mouth, I closed my eyes and replayed my conversation with Renesmee in my mind. Taking the coward's way out, I kept my eyes closed until the replay was over. When I finally chanced a glance at my brother, his eyes were wide.

"Why didn't I see it her way?" He ran his hand thought his hair, groaning in frustration. "Every time I think I have this dad thing figured out, I mess it up."

I laughed at him—loudly. "You've been a dad for all of two years and thought you knew it all?"

His sheepish grin spoke volumes.

"You'll never have it figured out, Edward. Trust me."

His eyes went to the candles and back to me. "Thanks, Aunt Diane." He held open the door to the living room. "After you."

Scott stepped in with an anxious look on his face. "They just pulled into the drive."

I frowned.

Seeing my worry, Edward placed his hand on my shoulder. "Relax, I know you will both do fine. Why don't you sit down and I will bring them in slowly."

We knew this was coming, and we had been preparing for it. Charlie and Sue wanted to come to the birthday party. As grandparents of the birthday girl, they should be part of the celebration. We had offered to leave, but Jasper told us we were just putting off the inevitable. He had kept us from populated areas when we paid our visit to Maria. Now it was time to learn to be around humans—their scents and their heartbeats.

For weeks we had been exposing ourselves to the temptation. Bella helped by bringing over clothes they had worn. It was hard at first, but we eventually were able to smell them without growling. The venom that filled our mouths never lessened and we were told that it never would.

Our hands were clasped tightly together when we heard the car door open. Soft, inviting heartbeats called us to our prey.

_No, not prey. Bella's father. Not prey. Nessie's grandfather._

Edward greeted them and thanked them for coming.

The new voice was deep and rough. "You sure they're okay with this? Meeting us, I mean. You told me they're kinda jumpy."

So, Charlie _had_ been told about us, but I didn't know exactly what he had been told.

"Yes, Jasper and Emmett will be staying close to them. Just move slowly at first. They've been through a lot with Natalie's murder, as you know, and are very wary of strangers. Give them plenty of space. They'll get used to you in time."

"But they're…like you and Bella, right?" The uncertainty in Charlie's voice made me uncomfortable.

"Yes, Charlie, but like us, they will soon count you as family. You're a very likeable guy." Edward's easy laugh drew one from Charlie as well.

Sitting next to Scott, Emmett whispered. "I'll give you a hundred bucks if one of you kiss Charlie."

"Geez, Emmett," Rose scolded.

He refused to be deterred. "Or you could just give him a little lick, like a lollipop."

"Emmett," Esme chided. "Not funny at all."

Everyone stopped and broke into wide smiles. Esme looked as good as ever. After Yani and Alistair left, Carlisle had insisted on taking his wife away so she could "rest and recover fully." We all had a good laugh that Carlisle's protectiveness had been proven to exceed that of his sons. Apparently they had come home just before our guests.

"What?" she asked as if nothing had happened. "Did you actually think I would miss my granddaughter's birthday party?"

Carlisle hugged her from behind. "Good as new and lovely as ever."

We all took turns hugging her and welcoming her back home. The party would be perfect now.

Scott and I went back to our seats when the heartbeats grew louder as they came up the walkway. I swallowed the venom down and willed myself to stay calm.

"We won't let you hurt them," Jasper whispered to me at vampire speed. "You're goin' to do just fine. Keep a hold of your man's hand there and remember who they are."

Sue's voice was full of tension. "I'm more concerned with the baby than myself."

Edward laughed. "They both love her dearly, and don't let my daughter catch you calling her a baby. I've been reminded today that is no longer that case."

Hearing the door begin to open, Scott and I sucked in huge breaths and held them. Our bodies went rigid. We knew it was only a temporary respite, but we wanted to do all we could to make our guests feel at ease.

Taking a long look at us, Edward offered an encouraging smile. "Charlie, Sue, this is Scott and Diane, my…um…_uncle_ and his wife."

Charlie came from behind Edward with Sue trailing behind him. He took a step towards us, but Edward stopped him with a shake of his head. Looking at us carefully, distrust clearly showing, he pulled his wife to his side. "Hi. Nice to finally meet you both. Heard a lot about you."

"Hello," Scott said smoothly. "Nice to meet you, too."

Hoping to put off breathing as long as possible, I only offered a soft, "Hello."

My gaze slid right past Charlie's eyes and went to his neck. I was mesmerized by rhythmic jumping of his artery as his blood flowed through it. That was the first time I imagined what it would be like to feed from a human.

_He'd be so much easier to take down than a bear…I wonder if he'd taste as good as they say…_

Edward cleared his throat—loudly. "Well, I think the birthday girl should be around here somewhere."

Regret quickly surpassed my desire. _Sorry, Edward._

He gave me a quick glace and nodded.

Ever the gracious hostess, Esme embraced Sue first, then Charlie. "We are so happy you've come today. Our guest of honor is on her way."

"_Scott, they smell so good."_

"_I know, try not to think about it."_

"_Their heartbeats sound like they're pounding in my ears."_

"_Sounds that way for me, too. Try to ignore it. We can do this."_

"You're both doin' fine," Jasper encouraged at our speed. Jacob's bike was coming up the driveway. The sound of his Harley Sprint was like no other. Jasper smiled. "Well, at least the mutt's here. His stench should help mask some of the human scent.

Losing focus, I let out a large huff and said, "Never thought I'd be glad to smell the dog." Realizing my error, my eyes went wide in panic.

Jasper's chuckle made me want to punch him. "Out of air, huh?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Quit bein' mad at me and focus. You're going to have to breathe now so you can speak. You can do it before wolf-boy walks in and test yourself, or you can wait until his stink has a chance to mix in."

A quick squeeze of Scott's hand and our eyes met. "Together," he commanded. "Ready? Now."

We both took a small breath. The fire that bloomed in our throats was expected and painful. Still holding each other's gaze, we both swallowed the venom pooling in our mouths. Scott placed my hand in his opposite one and slipped his arm around me, holding tight. Our bodies pressed closer together as we calmed each other. The burning and pain were still there, but we hadn't moved—we _could_ do this.

Bursting into the room like the bundle of energy that she was, Renesmee launched herself into Charlie's arms. "Grandpa! I'm so happy you're here!" She waved to Sue. "You're both here!"

Charlie's laugh was loud and warm. The hardness in the gaze he had for us melted away as he hugged his only grandchild. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, kiddo."

Seeing the love that Charlie and Sue had for the little girl was a blend of joy and pain for me. At that moment, my heart held joy because their visit made Renesmee so happy. She practically glowed. Yet my heart ached for my own children at the same time.

Then there was the physical pain that increased every second I spent so close to them. Part of me wanted to run for fear of what I knew I was capable of. The other part wanted to commit the very atrocity I feared. Clearly, we had no place being so close to the sweet-smelling humans.

_Come on…just a little taste, m_y beast whispered seductively. _You may not be able to have these humans, but there are so many others to choose from…_

The fire in my throat flared causing me to jerk in my seat. Struggling to be still, I gripped Scott tighter, and shot Jasper a pleading look and nodded—our prearranged signal.

Jasper's gift wrapped a fuzzy blanket of calm around me and I relaxed. Still, I couldn't stop the shame that I felt. I had desperately wanted to deal with the temptation on my own.

"None of that," he ordered. "Better I help than have somethin' go wrong."

My eyes went to the floor until Scott's thumb brushed over mine.

"_Good timing. I was just about to ask for some mojo right before you did."_

When I looked up at my husband, he winked at me. Once again, I counted my blessings and he was at the top of the list. As long as we had each other, we could face anything.

A wisp of doubt tickled the corner of my mind. _You'll give in someday, m_y beast purred. _I'll be here when you do…waiting…_

I shoved the thought away.

"Hey!" Jake's voice sounded as he stepped inside. "No starting without me."

Had I been human, my face would have given away the shock I felt at seeing Jake. He looked older, tired, burdened. As far as I knew, he hadn't been in contact with any of the family except Bella since he had returned to what was left of his people on the reservation.

Jacob had spent the first day after seeing his home in Bella's old room with her. Neither will talk about what happened between them. Edward was confident that only Bella had the right words to encourage Jacob to go on and serve his people the way they needed him to and he was right. After allowing himself that day to grieve with his friend, he went back to his home and people so that the Quileutes could rebuild their lives.

Only those who had been hidden in the caves survived that day. The fact that neither of the young wolves had imprinted yet was a small mercy. Jacob, Sue, Levi, and Joel had spent a lot of time together, making plans to rebuild the lives of their tribe. Not a single Cullen was privy to their plans. That was the way they wanted it and we all respected that.

Seeing Jake's haggard appearance made me take another look at Sue. Losing both of her children had been a heavy blow. She had told Bella that while she would always miss them—something I could relate to—she was proud of them, too. They had given their lives defending their people. Looking closely, I could see the redness around her eyes and knew that she would grieve for them for a very long time.

Not seeing his imprint had taken its toll on Jacob, but he insisted on spending his time on the reservation. The surviving teachers had taken in the children who were now orphans. Jacob made sure to visit each new family every single day. He also spent a lot of time with his pack. Levi and Joel both accepted the new way of things and knew that new wolves would be added if the need arose.

The birthday girl jumped from her grandfather to her wolf in a single bound, impressively clearing the length of the room. I looked to our human guests for a reaction. If they had one, they hid it well. I could only guess that my little niece had displayed her agility around them before.

"Guess we need to talk to her a bit more about being subtle," Bella murmured.

From Jacob's arms, Nessie huffed. "What's wrong? Everyone here is family."

Rose smiled. "She's got a point." Winking at the little girl, she added, "Besides, no correcting the birthday girl."

"Yay!" Renesmee shouted.

Bella groaned. "You're not helping, Rose."

"Never mind, you two," Alice interrupted. "On with the party!"

The party was lovely—as if Alice would have anything less—and the birthday girl even ate a tiny piece of her cake to make her parents happy. After her first bite, she looked at the six candles on top then smiled at me.

Emmett let out of booming laugh. "I wondered who got those up there. Nice job, Diane."

Wanting the attention to stay on my niece, I didn't reply.

"Time for presents!" Alice announced. "Everyone to the living room!"

The Denalis sent a leather-bound collection of Shakespeare's works as a gift. Tanya had been out hunting the day the Volturi came, and she barely made it to the house in time to warn them all. They made their escape from the Volturi and had spent a week at the bottom of the ocean. Eleazar had apologized profusely, but Carlisle wouldn't hear of it and told his friend that he did what was possible with the little time they had.

Respecting Edward and Bella's wishes, everyone kept the presents down to one—except Alice. By the time the fifth outfit was unwrapped, Bella groaned. "Alice, what part of 'only one' did you have trouble understanding?"

Alice eyes popped wide. "Surely you didn't mean that to applied to clothes!" Her hand went to her chest. "You wouldn't deny me a reason to shop for clothes for my only niece, would you?"

Everyone's laughter was well understood—Jasper's being the loudest. Alice was a force to be reckoned with once she set her mind to anything.

Shaking her head, Bella conceded. "Far be it from me to deny my child your fashion expertise."

"Well, in that case…" Rose looked at Bella "…I may have a few more presents in my closet. Emmett would only need a minute to get them…"

"You people are impossible," Bella muttered. "Fine, go get them, Em."

By the time all the gifts from Alice and Rose were opened, the child had a new wardrobe that would make a princess jealous.

Alice announced it was picture time. Jasper set the camera up on the tripod while Alice placed everyone, and stepped back to look. She tried to rearrange us but was quickly told to make do with what she had by a certain little girl who wanted to "get on with the party." Alice hit the self-timer and jumped into the frame several times until she was convinced she had a good shot.

We played birthday games. Scott pinned his tail right in the middle of the donkey's rear. I'm pretty sure he cheated. Edward wasn't allowed to guess how many jelly beans were in the jar because Alice said she didn't want to bother with blocking her thoughts all day. Rose bemoaned not having a piñata because even Renesmee would break it with one hit. Emmett tried in vain to convince everyone that spin the bottle was a good child's party game, and it took Edward's glare shut him up.

I'd be lying if I didn't say I was relieved when Charlie and Sue finally left. As soon as the front door closed after them, Scott and I zipped outside to fill our lungs with fresh air.

"You both did well," Carlisle praised. "As time passes, it will get easier."

The birthday girl bounded across the yard and asked for a family hunt so we spent the rest of the daylight hours doing just that.

Once everyone was sated, we played vampire hide and seek. While Renesmee had her size on her side, she liked to giggle too much and was constantly the first to be found. Jasper and Edward weren't allowed to play for obvious reasons, and Alice declared herself the referee so that Esme would join in. Rose turned out to be quite hard to find. Sacrificing her hairdo for her niece's amusement, she hid deep in the river because it masked her scent. Renesmee was thrilled with that.

After the twelfth game, the birthday girl admitted she was tired, so her parents took her home, but only after she hugged and kissed us all, thanking us for "the best birthday ever."

Everyone pitched in to clean up. The guys had way too much fun popping the balloons before tossing them in the trash. They quickly made a game of it and began giving each other scores as if balloon popping was an Olympic sport. We ladies let them be because their game was keeping them out of our way. Within an hour, everything was put back in its place and the trash was out of the house.

While he tried to be sly, Jasper stole glances at Scott and me throughout the party and into the evening. Apparently, we were not doing a good job of keeping the emotions from what we talked about under wraps. We tried to control our thoughts by focusing on the party. If Edward found us out, he never let it show. Taking the bull by the horns, I fixed my eyes on Jasper and focused on my determination. He didn't keep me waiting long until his eyes met mine.

I only whispered one word. "Tomorrow."

Not caring that I caught him, he gave me a smirk, but nodded his assent. I didn't see him peeking for the rest of the night.

"Oh yes! This one is perfect." Alice was at her laptop with a large smile.

"What is?" I asked while trying to get a look at the screen.

She blocked me. "No you don't. Just give me a minute or two so I can finish and print. Then you can see."

Walking off with a huff, I planted myself on the couch and starred daggers at my sister who ignored me and went about her business. As promised, she was sitting beside me two minutes later.

"Here you go. I put one just like it in Esme's album." Looking at the object she gave me, I smiled. A framed 8 x 10 of the group picture. At the bottom Alice had added "Cullen Family 2008."

"Oh, Alice. It's lovely, thanks."

"I made copies for all of us to put in our rooms."

Jasper stood behind the couch and touched his wife on the shoulder. "Now that the party's all done, how about some time for me, darlin'?"

Alice giggled and hopped over the couch to his side. "I thought you'd never ask."

His eyes went to me. "See you tomorrow?"

The double meaning of his words was loud and clear. "Yep. See you tomorrow."

Alice patted my shoulder softly, but I didn't meet her eyes. I figured she'd see our decision, but didn't think I could handle her sadness and keep my composure much longer.

"_Scott, can we go now?"_

Without looking at me, he stood and placed his controller on the stand. "Hey Em, I think Diane and I are gonna take off."

Without interrupting his game, Emmett answered, "Sure guys, see you later."

The short trip to our place was quiet. Once we were inside, Scott held me close. "All we can do is wait."

Time moved at a snail's pace that night. We tried games, books, movies, and…other distractions. Nothing worked for long. The talk we needed to have with the rest of the family weighed on us heavily. We both ended up on the living room couch. Sitting in silence, we watched the hands of the clock spin in slow motion as the hours crawled by.

At two in the morning, a loud knock on the door was unexpected. With a puzzled look, Scott opened it. "Jasper?"

"I don't know what you two have got goin' on over here, but it's bringin' me down all the way over there." He jerked his thumb at the main house. "So much, that I ended up projectin' and now everyone's upset and wants to know what's up."

Leaning away from his brother, Scott looked at me.

I shrugged. _"I'm willing to get it over with if you are."_

The shock and sadness that rolled off Jasper caught me off guard. Not surprisingly, his voice gave nothing away. "I see. Okay then, I'll let everyone know. See you in thirty minutes."

"We'll be there."

Having our own internal clocks, the whole family—save Renesmee who was asleep on the sofa—was sitting at the long table when we walked in.

Everyone fell silent as we took our seats. Edward and Alice kept their eyes down. No doubt, their gifts gave them a sneak peek into our announcement. Jasper, on the other hand, watched us like a hawk. He gaze was careful, not quite cold and not angry. He looked at us as if he didn't know what to think and was reserving judgment.

"Scott, Diane," Carlisle said softly, "since this is your meeting we'll let you say what you need to."

Our hands automatically joined and Scott shifted in his seat. "Diane and I want to thank you for all you've done for us. We couldn't have asked for a better family in this life. You have given us so much, helped us right from the start. Now we need to ask something of you, and we hope you'll understand." His gaze went to Carlisle since we knew only his agreement would secure the rest. "We'd like for you to cancel the contract with the P.I. team."

Murmurs went around the table along with a few soft gasps.

Scott pressed on. "We also ask that no one check on the children, visit them, or even look at their futures." His eyes went to Alice. "I know this is asking a lot, but we feel this is the only way to protect them." He drew a heavy breath. "While we had planned on visiting them from afar after our newborn year, we will be doing the same; no contact—at all."

With a squeeze of his hand, I let Scott know I was ready to take over. "We can't let what Yani did to me happen to them," I said slowly, trying to contain the sorrow that waited to crash over me. "The more contact we have with them, either directly or through someone else, the more chances we take of another vampire finding out about them."

Jasper's head nodded slowly in understanding, while everyone else stayed still. His eyes stayed locked on us.

Swallowing hard, I went on. "The Volturi may be gone, but some kind of rulers will replace them. We need to do everything we can to keep anyone from looking at our children as a threat to the secret." My gaze went to the table, unable to handle their looks of pity. "As much as we love them and want to know what going on with them, this is the way it has to be. I won't do what she did. I can't."

The sobs broke free then and Scott gathered me in his arms and held me. I tucked my head into him and struggled to calm myself. Saying our decision out loud made it so final. The glaring reality of what our choice would mean over the years washed over me, renewing the pain that we would never hold—or even see—our children again.

"We will, of course, abide by your wishes," Carlisle murmured. "Can everyone agree to that?" I looked up to see everyone nodding slowly.

Scott sighed heavily. "There is one more thing." I pulled back and sat upright, and set my eyes on him in support. "We think it would be best if we left—"

"No!" Esme wailed.

Carlisle patted her hand. "I hope you will reconsider."

"No one wants you to go. Nessie will be sad to lose you," Bella whispered.

Edward nodded. "I agree."

"Well, this sucks," Emmett pouted.

"Certainly does, baby," Rose added.

Alice wouldn't look at me. "I don't understand. I thought…" She covered her mouth and didn't finish.

Only Jasper stayed silent. His arms crossed over his chest, glaring at my husband.

"Well, Jasper," Scott gestured around the table. "Everyone else has had their say. You've got nothing?"

His reply was low and angry. "You said you weren't leavin'. Thought you meant it."

Seeing Jasper that way killed my patience, and I nudged my husband's shoulder. "Tell them the rest."

"I was going to, but they interrupted me." His eyes twinkled as they went over everyone. "It's not nice to interrupt, you know."

Jasper huffed. "You're startin' to irritate me."

"You've said that before," Scott retorted. I shoved him, and he shot me a playful glare before looking back at Jasper. "What I was trying to say is that we would be best if we left _for a while_. We'd like to take a trip around the country for about a year, but we'd like to come back after that."

Looks of relief flashed across all the faces in the room—save two.

Carlisle hugged his wife. "Don't be sad, my dear. A year isn't so long. You may recall we spent longer than that traveling after your newborn year."

The heart of the family looked up at us with pleading eyes. "You'll come back to us? Promise?"

I flitted to her and hugged her tightly. "Promise. Plus we'll call and email. We can send you pictures of the places we visit."

Her eyes went wide. "But we will be moving soon!"

"Scott and I will pack up all our stuff. Just put the boxes in our new room and we'll unpack when we return." I looked at her squarely in the eyes. "We _will_ return, Esme."

Placing a soft kiss on my cheek, she replied with a sternness that I'm not so sure was playful. "You had better. Don't make me hunt you down. One year."

Scott stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "One year, Esme," he promised.

With a whoosh of air, Scott's hands left me. The house shuddered as Jasper pinned him to the wall.

With a smirk, Scott asked, "Something on your mind, Major?"

Jasper's fingers tightened around my husband shoulders. "If you think that I'm just goin' to watch you walk away and go off with your woman_,_ then you don't know me very well. I am your _brother,_ Scott, in more ways than one. Did you actually expect me to be okay with this? To just stand here and let you go off on your own?"

I giggled, hearing Jasper throw Scott's words back at him in a new context. _Men._

Tilting his head, Scott's eyes lit up. "You and Alice are welcome to come."

Grinning victoriously, Jasper stepped back. "Alice, darlin', what do you say?"

Stepping between the two brothers, she put her hands on her husband's face. "I say it's about time a certain empath quit playing human just to make his wife happy." She kissed him softly. "Thank you for all the years you sacrificed so much for me. I'll go wherever you want."

Jasper narrowed his eyes at me. "Tattletale."

I shrugged. "Yep, deal with it."

Jasper's smile lit up the room. "Looks like we're taggin' along, Scott."

I felt a pull on my pant leg and looked down to find a sad little girl looking back at me with watery eyes. "You're leaving?"

Picking her up, I answered quietly. "Only for a little while."

"Okay." She sniffed and nodded. "I'll miss you."

"How about I promise you that we will be back before your next birthday?" Renesmee and I looked to Scott.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

The little smarty got a gleam in her eye. "I'll be nine then."

"You sure will." I lowered my voice to a whisper. "We'll make sure to get the right number of candles on the cake."

Edward chuckled. "No need for that. I'll never make that mistake again."

Two days later, we were standing in the driveway next to Rose's latest project.

Jasper ran his hand along the midnight blue hood gently. "Rose, you've outdone yourself. I can't thank you enough."

"Just take care of her," Rose lectured. "Get the oil changed every three thousand miles and get her tuned as soon as you hear the timing is off." She narrowed her eyes. "It may be your car, but she had better be in mint condition when you get back."

Scott closed the trunk of the '69 Camaro. "Well that's everything. I'm proud of you ladies; only two bags each."

Alice winked at me. "What did you expect, silly? We have to have room for the stuff we buy along the way."

"If it doesn't fit in the trunk, it doesn't come," Jasper stated firmly. "You know that's my rule, Alice."

I squeezed my sister's hand. "We know; that's what Fed Ex is for."

Our husbands groaned but knew not to argue, they'd never win.

The moment had come to say goodbye. Esme had the hardest time and made each of us promise, once again, that we'd be home next September. We all hugged her tight and reminded her that this was only a vacation, but her sadness was still hard to watch.

Carlisle kept an even face and reminded us to stay in touch and that all of the Cullen homes were at our disposal. They went inside after that.

Edward watched the door until it closed. "They both think you're leaving for good, but…" He tapped his temple. "…I know better. Have fun." He hugged Alice and me then shook hands with our husbands. "Please keep in touch, or Esme will drive us all crazy."

Hugs from Bella and Nessie were next. More reminders of our September return and promises of frequent calls and emails were made. Edward ushered his family into his car and they left for Charlie's.

Emmett and Rose were clearly not happy. Emmett hugged Alice, then me. "We'd like to come, but we're needed here."

Jasper socked him on the shoulder. "You are. Call if there's even a hint of trouble and we'll come right back."

"You know I will, bro." He socked Jasper then Scott. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

The hugs from Rose were quick. "Send me something from the fashion hot spots."

Alice beamed. "Of course. Hope the boys don't run out of money!"

They stood holding hands and waving as we pulled out. The sky was overcast, as usual, and the breeze coming through the open windows felt good. Jasper was grinning as we passed the high school and he gave it a little goodbye wave. He turned on the radio and began tapping his fingers to the beat. When we reached the freeway, we went south.

"Scott and I figured we'd just take it day by day and not plan too much. That okay with you ladies?"

"Sounds good to me," I answered.

Before long, we passed the sign telling us we were leaving Forks. A gentle rain began to fall and a well-known guitar solo began to play.

Jasper groaned, but turned up the radio anyway. I had discovered the song online the day I knew we'd have to really let the children go. The lyrics seemed fitting, so I downloaded it to my iPod and played it constantly.

The lead in started.

_OK…OK…OK…_

_OK…OK…OK…_

"Repeat number four hundred and twenty three," Jasper deadpanned.

Actually I'd listened to it more times than that. So what? Just to be a brat, I began to sing loudly with the lead singer of The Afters.

_It's not the end  
But it feels like it is  
I'm waking up  
Like I'm back from the dead  
I'm stepping out  
And I feel so afraid  
But as long as I'm moving it's all right_

Alice joined in, and we sang louder, ignoring Jasper's playful glare.

_I feel alive  
And it hurts for a change  
And looking back and it's hard to believe  
That I was cool  
With the days that I wasted complacent and tasteless and bored but  
That was yesterday_

Looking out across the landscape as it flew by us, I resolved to put the pain behind me. I knew it would always be there, but I couldn't wallow in it. I refused to make my three companions miserable. So when the chorus came, I sang louder as I pushed the hurt away.

_We're never going back to OK  
We're never going back to easy  
We're never going back to the way it was  
We're never going back to OK_

Jasper met my eyes in the mirror and turned the music down, "Don't keep it bottled up for me."

Tilting my head, I studied him. "I'll make you a deal, I won't keep it bottled up if you'll promise to tell me if it gets to me too much for you, and no using your mojo unless we ask."

He chuckled. "Mojo…you two are crazy…it's a deal."

He reached down and turned the radio back up just in time for the final chorus, but no one sang—the words suddenly seemed too true. We would never go back to our old lives. Our children had moved on, as they should. They were well cared for and had enough money to see them well into adulthood.

My mind went back to that January day as Scott and I lay dying. If I had it to do over again…

I would.

We had lost a lot. We had gained a lot. Rehashing the past didn't change it. The hard truth was, even for immortals, time only moves forward. There really is no way back.

Resting my head on Scott's shoulder, I wondered what the year would bring. "Alice?"

"Don't ask me, Diane. I'm getting flashes of something big, but they're too far away. Let's just enjoy each day as it comes."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

~~~THE END~~~

* * *

In my defense...I had to go with I knew Scott and Diane would do. Even though I didn't like it. Writing that last chapter was hard. If you want to hear the songs that inspired this fic, including Never Going Back To Okay, please see my blog: www(dot)midnightariel(dot)blogspot(dot)com.

**Sappy "end of story" Author's notes:**

**First off, I must once again thank my betas SqeakyZorro, Evil Pumpkin, and Kherisma. I have learned so much from them and I can see improvement in my writing as this, my first fic, progresses.**

**Next I want to thank those who read and reviewed, especially Costa who become my pre-reader in the later chapters.**

Lastly, here is the summary for the sequel _Spinal Cord_ (hope you all read it too):

_At the end of No Way Back, Jasper and Scott Cullen, along with their wives Alice and Diane, have left the family to take a year long trip around the world. They don't get far before a mysterious illness breaks out in American's heartland. When it turns out that zombies are on the loose, Jasper is called by those who assumed power after the fall of the Volturi. Why would vampires be needed to destroy zombies? Well, that is quite the question, isn't it? Enter Xander and Blake Clayton: two brothers who sign up to fight in the coming apocalypse. Sadly for them, things are not as they seem. Come on a journey filled with rotting flesh and warring covens. This is not your typical zombie fic...trust me._

Spinal Cord will begin posting soon. Please put me in your author favs so you don't miss it.

**Thanks to you all for the chance to share my little tale. I have truly enjoyed discovering that I can write. ;)**

**~MA**


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